MOVIE RUN By Shaibu Husseini

SHATTERED ILLUSION

Producer – Emem Isong, Rob Emeka Eze

Director  - John Uche

Actors – Jim Iyke, Dakore Egbuson, Ngozi Ezeonu, JT Tom West and others.

Dakore Egbuson, the actress of the Emotional Crack fame who lived the role of a lesbian with great aplomb and confidence returns to the screen as one of the lead actors in this touching piece that was told under the direction of John Uche. Dakore is Jumoke, the singer and daughter of Chief Falemi, a senatorial aspirant in this flick that starred the banned actor and the acclaimed ‘lover boy in every movie’ Jim Iyke.

Indeed most fans of the ‘movie lover boy’ would be more used to seeing him solving crime than committing one. But In this Emem Isong story which she safely called ‘Shattered Illusion’, Iyke who was before the reported ban placed on some top actors in Nollywood, the toast of urban based movie producers, find a role here as a poacher and serial killer

Abandoned as a tot and battered as he grew along, Joshua (Jim Iyke) turns a serial killer. His targets are women. He chose to get back at them for forcing him into the streets as such an early age.The police are on his trail and have sworn to track him down. At another divide, Chief Falemi (Justus Esiri) has difficulties taming the excesses of his returnee daughter Jumoke (Dakore Egbuson), a strong upholder of justice and equal right. She runs into Joshua at a pub and they both fall in love. The movie peaked when Joshua leaves a murder threat for Mrs. Falemi (Ngozi Ezeonu) on a wall soon after he discovered that Mrs. Falemi was his biological mother. The movie reached its climax when the police swoop on an attempt by Joshua to maim Jumoke. He comes face to face with Mrs. Falemi, his biological mother. He pulls the trigger at her and the police pull it on him too perhaps as a way of averting further loss of life.

This is well told. It’s tough going for the mind. But it’s a bit predictable and too contrived to be real. That a fellow was abandoned and battered as a child should not be enough motivation for serial killing particularly when targeted at the wrong people. Again the conclusion was disappointingly limp and too grating. One had thought that both Mrs. Falemi and Joshua should be given a chance to make amends unless the folks behind these are suggesting that all those who were abandoned by their mothers should seek them and kill them.

In any case this produced a breathless session of gripping theatre. The art and expression in Emem language also worked in favour of the flick. Dakore Egbuson, Jim Iyke and J.T Tom West combined so well to give this movie its credit. But John Uche who directed the flick takes full credit for some degree of compelling direction. He ensured that the artistes lived enough to contribute to the energy of the flick. This is likely to get his viewers glued firmly to their seats.

THE HEART OF MAN

Producer – Chilozie Okonkwo

Director – Andy Chukwu

Actors   - Maureen Solomon, Emeka Enyiocha, Pete Edochie, Kanayo Kanayo and others

Igwemba, King of Osumonu dies and the king makers meet to decide on who should succeed him. They resolve to move the traditional stool from the Igwemba family. De Ofoma (Pete Edochie), eldest son of the late King who had led two of his brothers to the meeting and who had nursed the ambition of succeeding his father stormed out of the meeting depressed. He blames his younger brother, Sam Nkoye, an engineer for not putting in a word in spite of his influence. Sensing mischief, De Ofoma moves to eliminate Nkoye. He does and turns a devious character from here. He dies later but sowed a seed of discord between his two surviving sons Ebube and Uzoma and his younger brother Ndudi whom he had earlier visited with just a fraction of senility when the later requested for a share of the family land. Ebube and Ofoma become very disrespectful from here. The movie peaks when Ebube takes on his Uncle Ndudi for insisting on claiming his rightful inheritance. The movie ends here but there is a sequel. Predictably, there will be no peace for the wicked.

This is good in spite of its very dull title. But is not particularly an athletic account. Not only is it stagy, it has little meat between the bones and this made it loose its charm. It has even nothing ground breaking to speak of. The coldness of the story and the manner at which the actors conceptualized their roles contributed in making it so. Indeed except for Kanayo Kanayo, none of the characters or plot generated enough of an arch to raise the roof.

But it’s worth a look on. It has a number of life lessons to teach and boast of a number of exciting moments even though the moments are far in between. Not sure if you would like to sit through a sequel since the major players like Pete Edochie have been written off the flick.