HONEST DECEIVER by OPARA OKWUCHI

STORY:– Fatima Zanna
SCREENPLAY: – Wonder Obinna Obasi
DIRECTOR: – Andy Chukwu
STILL PHOTO: GENTLE SOUL
WELFARE: AUGUSTINE OKEKE
MUSIC: SEIGHA SMOOTH EBIDE
CO-ORDINATOR: DAVID AGINWA
LIGHT/SOUND: UCHE UWAJU
PRODUCTION MANAGER: IFEANYI NDOKWU
GRAPHICS: JAHBLESS UKAEGBU
POST PRODUCTION: ULZEE DIGITAL STUDIO
ASST. EDITOR: SAMUEL EMMANUEL
EDITOR: JAHBLESS UKAEGBU
PRODUCER: AZUKA ODUNUKWE
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: AZUKA ODUNUKWE AND ULOMA ODUNUKWE
DIRECTOR: TCHIDI CHIKERE
CONTINUITY: CHIJIOKE OKEKE OGUNO
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: EFE EPHRAIM
MAKE UP ARTIST: KINGSLEY GODWIN
COSTUME DESIGNER: CHIEMELA NWAGBOSO
RELEASE DATE: 2010
GENRE: MELODRAM DURATION:1hr,26 mins
THEMES: Mental Illness in Nigeria
Marriage of Convenience in Nigeria
Domestic Violence in Nigeria
Politics Nigerian
Family Secrets in Nigeria
Money Rituals i
LOCATION: NIGERIA REVIEWER: OPARA OKWUCHI DOMINICA
09BE08985
STARRING: Ini Edo – Diana
Justus Esiri – Denis
Benedict Johnson – Flobert
Ali Nuhu – Damian
Fatima Zanna – Eva
Steve Eboh – Senator
Tony Ezimadu – Chief Williams
Kingsley Precious – Raymond
Maureen Ihua – Maira
Ngozi Duru – Annabel
Veronica Dafe – Doctor
Lilian Ume – Sophie
Sylvia Oluchi – Lara
Esther Okereke – Regina
Marcus Pilla – Nico
Inno Nwafor – Smack
Andy Chukwu – Oscar
Oge Madu – Court Clerk
Chinonso Ogbuka – Rose
REVIEW:
Diana is in a long term relationship with Flobert. Her relationship is being threatened by her parents who want her to marry Chief Williams’ son Damian in order to aid her father in realising his political ambitions. They will not accept Flobert, deeming him a “pauper” and below their social standing and this is despite the fact that he helped put both Diana and her sister through school. Eventually Diana is persuaded to accept Damian’s proposal and wedding arrangements are made. At the same time Flobert discovers a secret about Damian that could have a devastating effect on Diana’s future. Flobert tries to tell Diana the secret about Damian but she refuses to listen, misreading his intentions. However it is not long after marriage that she discovers the secret for herself, and slowly throughout the plot other secrets emerge.
Senator Macauley’s political ambitions are under threat by the appearance of someone from his past that he would have rather forgotten. He now has to make the decision between his son’s future happiness versus his political future.
SPOILERS:
We are shown how money and greed can ruin relationships. Before Diana’s family came into money they were accepting of Damian, especially because at that time they needed him. In the same way Flobert’s friend was formerly good friends with Damian before Damian’s family came into money and resulted in the end of that relationship. We can see that conditions are temporary and the same way that one acquires money is the same way that one can lose money. Relationships should be based on personal qualities and characteristics, not superficial material things. Both of the sister’s marriages were arranged by their gather for greedy ulterior motives, and we see the grief that is caused in the process.
In Diana’s time of need it is her friends that the family looked down upon that are sitting by her hospital bedside giving support after she has been battered by the crazy man that her parent’s set her up with simply because of his father’s positioning in the society. We can see how money is not important in the grand scheme of things. It cannot buy sanity or happiness. What good is marrying a rich man whose family are connected when he is crazy and batters you? Can you enjoy money and status when you are lying in a coffin?
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Damian’s secret is his mental illness. In my opinion it was badly portrayed (what’s new right?) He was made into some sort of Jekyll and Hyde sort of character. He supposedly went for treatment in London. The treatment is supposed to have worked so why is his behaviour still off? Is he still supposed to be on medication or what? It is unbelievable that NO symptoms whatsoever are displayed before the marriage but then immediately afterwards his madness is full throttle. As I have said before research is vital. If he was treated in London why is there no name for his condition apart from “madness.” It doesn’t take much to google schizophrenia or bi-polar and make the symptoms fit.
The whole wedding set up was confusing. Maucauley says that his own son is supposed to marry Eva, Diana’s sister and because he is being blackmailed by his wife’s long lost son Oscar, he agrees to pretend to be Oscar’s father in order for Ocar to wed Eva and prevent any scandal. I found it weird that Eva’s parents did not look shocked to see another guy being brought to them. Are we supposed to believe that neither Eva or her parents or sister had never even met or seen a picture of the guy that she had planned to marry?! Raymond presents himself at Eva’s parents house after the wedding and they look shocked when he announces his name. Hold up! I don’t remember Oscar pretending his name was Raymond so why the shock? After Oscar locks up Eva in a hotel room after their marriage he tells her the truth behind the situation, and tells her, “I did it because I love you so much.” HUH? How? They apparently haven’t ever met so how does he figure he loves her? Then at the end of the movie we see Raymond enter the picture and come to claim Eva. Raymond has come with a gun and ready to kill for his “wife.”. She apparently has never met either of them and they are both going postal over her. During the confrontation Oscar asks Eva who she wants to spend the rest of her life with. Hmmm… Great choices, which one should she choose, a kidnapper or a potential killer?
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In the end we learn that Damian’s father used his brains for money rituals and this is what caused the madness. I thought it was a ridiculous ending. I find that Charm/rituals always used as a cop out to explain someone’s behaviour. If Damian’s father had in fact used his brains for money rituals as is claimed, then why was he sent to London for treatment? Why are we told that the treatment worked? How can the treatment have worked if he wasn’t really mentally ill? After the children in the movie being sacrificed by their parents for their own selfish gains it was nice that it ended with everybody with someone that they actually wanted to be with and their parents accepting of the choices made. Ali Nuhu is popping up everywhere and is a bit stiff in he acting, as is Fatima Zanna. Her acting was patchy as was her story; both needed a lot of work. On the whole I found the movie a little too far fetched for my liking and there were too many holes in the story. If the execution was better it could have been a really good movie, but the execution was weak
SOUNDTRACK: My heart will go on by Celine Dion
TITLE SEQUENCE: At the beginning of the movie before the title was revealed the main casts were shown from scenes of the movie with their names written underneath then the title was revealed on a black background.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
SHOTS: medium shot, close up and extreme close up (the extreme close up when flobert proposed To eva In the presence of Diana, there was more emphasis on Diana’s face to show the hurt when his wife said yes).
ANGLE: Medium angle was foremost in the movie though the extremely high and low angles were also used.
TRANSITION: at the beginning of the move there was a zoom out from Damian’s shoes to show that he was preparing for an interview, also along the line of the movie there was a zoom in to the wall clock to emphasize how late it was and Flobert had not returned home.
COSTUME: Kofoworola Onifade; the costumes were fit for all the parts played.
MAKE-UP: Regina Chukwu; the make-up for some of the casts was a little too much.
REFLECTION: I was really impressed with the line to which the story took and also the end I myself couldn’t believe I could settle down to finish a Nigerian movie not to speak of a Yoruba one oduction W
PERSONAL ASSESMENT: I’d give it a five over ten.