THE RIVALS

Movie Title: The Rivals

Film Length: 1hr 15mins

Producer: Blessing Effiom and Omoni Oboli

Lead Actors: Desmond Elliot, Kate Henshaw Nuttal, Alex Usifo, Blessing Effiom, Omoni Oboli.

Camera Shots: The shots used inmovie are the Medium Shot and Close-up Shot.

Camera Angles: Mid-angle and Low-angle

Director of Photography: Isaac Martins

Editor: Taiwo Olajire

Director: Aquilla Njamah

Costume Designer: Frank Osodi

Sound Director: Richard Ibrahim
Production Year: 2007

Genre: Comedy/Romance

MOVIE PLOT

Prince Ekong(Desmond Elliot) needs to get a wife before he can become the King of Calabar. His father, king Obong(Alex Usifo) urges him to get a wife by the end of one week. Ekong, however, is faced with a dilemma: he can’t seem to choose from among the three ladies he fancies- Eme(Blessing Effiom), Uyai(Kate Henshaw Nuttal), and Asari(Omoni Oboli).

He decides to test all three of them, and at the end of seven days, choose his bride. It turns out that though Eme is very pretty and cooks well, she is subservient and does not speak her mind. Asari is a good person, but because of her boldness, Ekong thinks she is rude. Uyai is very ambitious and proud. She refuses to let anything stand in the way of realizing her dream and so she deceives Eme and drugs Asari. She also sneaks out of the palace to her home to get food for the prince as she cannot cook.

The prince is deceived by Uyai’s tricks and he picks her at the end of the testing period. Eme is relieved as she is already in love with Ekuke(Okey Uzoeshi). It turns out that Asari actually does love the prince although she considers him incapable of wooing a lady. She is heart-broken when the prince chooses Uyai. Eme and Asari leave the palace.

Uyai’s father, who is a pastor, refuses to let his daughter get away with her crimes, telling the king that his daughter,Uyai, does not deserve prince Ekong. The king makes both Uyai and her sister/ partner-in-crime servants at the palace and promises to reward Uyai’s father for his honesty. Prince Ekong runs after Asari and begs for her forgiveness and calls her his queen. She asks if he couldn’t tell that she had loved him for so long. She accepts and he takes her away in his arms.

The sound quality is not so good, but it depicts culture. It does seem a bit like a fairy tale. Generally, it’s a good watch.