Uyai

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31ST, 2009.
UYAI.
PRODUCER: Emem Isong.
DIRECTORS: Emem Isong, Desmond Elliot.
EDITOR: Uche Alexmoore.
RELEASE DATE: 2008.
REVIEWER: Bassey Uduak Anthonia.
GENRE: Tragi-comedy
PLOT: Ukeme (Moses Armstrong), a just titled chief faces desertedness when someone who is his exact replica has been shown on the news dead. No one believes that he is not a ghost or that he is alive.
In a town called Amari, Ikot- Ekpene, a man Ukeme has just been titled chief and ambassador of that town. Together with his wife Uyai (Ini Edo), who just got married to him five months ago, they celebrate the ordination in a very grand style. After the celebration, Ukeme has to go back to the city and recover the money spent on the celebration. A night to his travelling, Uyai has a dream of him having an accident, after begging him to postpone his travel date, he assured her that nothing will happen to him.
The same day after he travels, he comes back telling Uyai that he has postponed his trip. After some time, Uyai hears on then news that her husband was killed in a ghastly motor accident. There is confusion everywhere as she claims to have been in the same bed with Ukeme that afternoon. His burial is finally held after several confrontation of his supposed ghost. Ukeme has to prove to the whole world that he is not dead and he does so through the media.
THEME: The major theme in this movie was Trust.
SETTING: The movie has a contemporary setting based in Nigeria.
MAIN CASTS: Moses Armstrong, Ini Edo, Darlene Benson Cobham, Ini Ikpe.
COUNTRY: Nigeria.
LANGUAGE: Efik (subtitled in English).
QUOTES: One striking proverb I got from this film is:
“The most quiet of lions is still as dangerous as a true breed even if it sits as a lamb”. This was said by Ntiero when she was trying to prove that Uyai has a hand in her husband’s death at the chiefs meeting.
Another was:
“When the fire that is burning a man’s house is threatening to engulf surrounding houses, the neighbors will not sit back and watch even if the man insists on quenching it himself”. This was said when Ntiero was raising her argument in the chiefs meeting.
TITLE SEQUENCE: the movie was first introduced on the road with a man being carried out apparently dead. The name was introduced after that scene.
SOUND TRACK: The music was written by Darlene Benson.
SHOTS: Most of the shots used in this movie were the major shots but notwithstanding; medium shots were used predominantly so as to create a relationship between the viewer and the audience. There was the use of the Extreme Close-up shot (EX CU) was used when Uyai heard that her husband was involved in a car accident. Her eyes were used to express surprise and also fear.
ANGLE: Medium angle was predominantly used in the movie. But there was the use of the low angle when the spiritualist was talking to Ukeme parents to show that he was higher or superior than them. Extreme high angle camera was also used when Ukeme told the camera man that he was not dead. While he was kneeling, the camera went to the top of his head.
CAMERA MOVEMENT: pan left and right was used frequently in the beginning i.e. during the chieftaincy title.
CAMERA SPEED: Medium camera speed was used throughout the movie, although there was a little bit of fast speed when Uyai was running away from her ghost husband.
COSTUME: Normal day- to- day costumes were used but there was also the use of the native dance attire, when the cultural dancers were dancing at the chieftaincy ceremony: these ones could be classified as special costumes.
MAKE-UP: Most of the characters had normal make-up, it was simple and straight.
REFLECTIONS: Trust is one characteristic that is lacking in families of today. If Uyai could trust her husband and believe that he was not dead then he wouldn’t have felt as deserted as he did almost throughout the movie.
FINALE: The movie ended with the press trying to convince everyone that Ukeme truly did not die.
Thanks for staying with me. I hope that you have enjoyed this write-up. Please post your comments to show your like or dislike about the write-up. God bless you.