Not all that a 'Perfect Church'
A day before I saw The
Perfect Church, Wale Adenuga’s latest odyssey into the big blank Nollywood
space, I recalled that I mentioned to a friend and I think also my wife that I
may be lucky to find the feature film more eventful and thought provoking than
I will find several episodes of his Super Story series. Although I suspected that from the
title tragedy will just be about twenty minutes away from the start of the
movie, I have followed Wale Adenuga’s works on television, particularly the
popular Super Story series and I don’t know of any episode of the Super Story series
that missed the mark. The stories
are always with a strong central core and they are in most cases told with
characters that we care about and actors who can get our whole attention. So it
was with great expectation that I heeled to the National Theatre during the
Easter break to see the movie, which was promoted as an inspirational movie
from Wale Adenuga productions. I was told that it premiered before a quality
crowd at the Silverbird Galleria but that it didn’t do well in the cinema
during its post premiere showing. So it was also out of curiosity, to know why
moviegoers didn’t find this work by a master motion picture practitioner
compelling, that I raced to see the movie at the National Theatre on the eve of
the April 26 Gubernatorial election. But as the credit line rolled up, I quickly made a few
notes so I don’t forget and I remember that the first comment I made was that there
was a better place for movies like that, than the cinema and that place is the
tele-movie slot on broadcast television. I think it could have mustered up the
emotional grandeur it aims for if it has been made into series.
Anyway, Perfect Church
tells several stories; all centered on a randy Pentecostal pastor of this
archetypal Perfect Church and some stinking members of his congregation. You
should know the rest of the story from here: church is deserted when some faithful
discover that the church of God stinks; those who have not been serving God in spirit
and in truth seek God’s face and are redeemed, those who turn a new leaf are
rewarded and it goes on and on.
By far a slow running piece that veers off in innumerable
thematic directions, there is a good movie somewhere in The Perfect Church. The ideas are certainly there but the movie
strains under a scattershot script that could have benefited from another look
and strains also under the weight of its own ambition-to tell what should have
been better served over several weeks on television in 120 minutes.
Directed by Bambo Adabajo whose directorial ability seem
tentative and starring some of the sectors recognizable faces like Olu Jacobs,
Funke Akindele, Hakeem Rahman and Ngozi Ezeonu, the auteur gets the subject
right- about the need to be humble, God fearing, steadfast, tenacious and the
need to turn a new leaf is it is never too late to seek God’s forgiveness, but
he never figures out how to make a compelling movie out of the material at his
disposal until the movies near 120 painful minutes of existence. Although it possesses a handful of
memorable comedic set pieces, I have seen countless Nollywood movies with
similar storylines (Church in Crisis, War
in the Church and Crisis in the Lords Vineyard) to know that the movie generally
needs some more strings to tie its disconnected scenes into a cohesive movie. Take
Church in Crisis from the stable of Kingsley
Ogoro production for instance. The scintillating perversity and ambitious
stylization which Perfect Church
lacks was what was the auteur in Church
in Crisis employed to call attention to the film. Unlike Church in
Crisis, Perfect Church plays out
like an extremely rough sketch of a much smarter film. The movies execution
feels not only half-hearted but its lack of dramatic punch coupled with so many
scenes of indecision and second guessing, renders it overlong for the kind of
theme that runs through its vein.
I will not waist
ink on the unconvincing manner the issue of same sex relationship was handled.
I will also not bother to ask why such a huge parish will be handed over to a
fellow who is still single, but I think the film scored well in the acting
department. Indeed it is to the
film benefit that the inimitable Ramsey Noah assumes a lead as the stinking
pastor. It is also to the film benefit that the dean of them all Olu Jacobs
found a cameo here. But I don’t think this will represent one of the best
performances by Ramsey in his eventful career as an actor. No it is not. The
award winning actor lost his compelling earthy presence here. He stood at a
distance in most part of the film. Hakeem Rahman who played the randy husband
was good even though he tends to overact. Olu Jacob who played the visiting
Bishop acquitted himself as always. But he sounded so incoherent during his short
sermon where he won new converts. It was as if he was asked to improvise. Ngozi
Ezeonu was brilliant as the jilted housewife. We saw her carry very well the
weight of such world events on her expressive face. Her convincing portrayal
contributed in giving the movie its acting credits.
See the film.
While it does not pretend to be cerebral like most works from the stable of
Wale Adenuga productions, it excites and also lives up to its title especially
in thematic trajectory. But true not every work by a master painter is a masterpiece.
