Omo Iya Alakara

FILM REVIEW

NAME OF FILM: ‘OMO IYA ALAKARA’

DATE OF PRODUCTION: 2008

NAME OF DIRECTOR: MUSILIU AYINDE

“Poverty is a bad thing” and “Education is the key to knowledge” are the quotes that reflect the meaning of this great movie titled, “Omo Iya Alakara”, which literally means in English, “Bean Cakes seller’s child”, is a must watch for every home, both old and young. It is interesting, motivating, educative and suspense-filled.

In the film, a father who is not known dies and leaves his wife with their children.And life becomes difficult for them.

The wife of this late man, known as ‘Iya Juwon’ in the play is left with no choice but to commence in a petty trade, frying beancakes, which is generally referred to as ‘akara’. The children, Oluwajuwon and his sister, Tunmise, also helped in the business of selling beancakes.

Fortunately or unfortunately, her business succeeds and is known as “Iya Juwon, Alakara, e rush i e!”, which means “Iya Juwon, the bean cake seller, rush it!”. So many people come to buy hers and there are cases when preference is shown between Iya Juwon’s beancakes and her neighbour’s who is called Iya Saheed who later becomes her rival in the business.

However, the boy, Juwon is lackadaisical in working but wants to succeed and become a great person in the future. While Tunmise is hardworking and achieves good success. She helps her mother a lot in improving her small business.

When the time comes for Iya Juwon to pay both of her children’s university fees, there is trouble getting money and the small business could not provide all the money they need. Even Iya Juwon’s brother-in-law, who is supposed to take his late brother’s responsibility position, ignores them and leaves them to wander and sorrow about money.

At the end of the film, the good triumphs over the bad. Iya Juwon’s enemy, who no one will ever guess would be, confesses. Even though Juwon runs into the hands of destiny destroyers and disowned his mother for an ignorant reason, Tunmise on her own part succeeds in her academics and becomes a very influential lawyer which means that she became rich and is able to take care of her mother.

Juwon is to be imprisoned and Tunmise is to fight for him in court, the film leaves some questions unanswered. Questions like “Will Juwon eventually go to jail?” “Will his mother forgive him?”.Normally, the film should not end without the knowledge of the fate of Juwon.

The lessons gained from this fascinating film are as follows:

-Keep the right company. And as Iya Juwon advises her daughter, evil communication corrupts good manners.

-Disobedience leads to trouble and frustration. Juwon becomes frustrated and is in trouble.

The film is a melodrama because it brings out the differences between good and evil and the good overcomes the evil.

VISUAL IMAGES

1) Long shot: This is used at the very first scene of the film.The people rushing to buy Iya Juwon’s beancakes, the son, Juwon, watching lackadaisically and the area used in selling the beancakes are all viewed.It generally shows a complete view of what’s happening.

2) Close-up medium shot: This is used on Juwon, when he is amazed at the crowd rushing for his mother’s beancakes, when his mother reacts angrily and questions if he couldn’t help her sell.

3) Medium shot: This is used when a male customer, who sends his son to get beancakes for him, came to condemn his son for going to the wrong place that is Iya Saheed’s and encourages her that she would sell her beancakes very soon.

CAMERA MOVEMENTS

1) Tilt shot: This is used when Iya Juwon is condemning Tunmise’s clothes that is given by friends, when Juwon teases his girlfriend named Cynthia whom the camera man views from down to up again.

ADETIPE DAMILOLA JANET

08BE07294