by Odilu Richard

Just one question:

What would you do if on the eve of your honeymoon, a band of robbers storm into your hotel room? They discover that they are in the wrong location, and rather than leave you in peace, they decide to take a parting gift – the newly wedded wife who you are minutes away from having sex with?

Fans and Nollywood insiders battled with this question as they sat in Studio 4 of the Silverbird Cinemas on Sunday, 17th April glued to the screen  at the movie première of Mahmood Ali Balogun’s ‘Tango with me’, starring Genevieve Nnaji, Joseph Benjamin, Joke Silva and others. The film tells the story of the transformation of the lives of a newly wedded couple, Uzor and Lola Dike, as they battle to save their marriage after a rape incident on the eve of their honeymoon.

The movie is reported to have cost over 50 million naira to shoot, and had Hollywood experts on its crew. In an online interview, Balogun, the director explained that it took him over two years to research the story, resulting in the refreshing and tasteful film that ‘Tango With Me’ was.

Top-notch acting was expected from Genevieve Nnaji and veteran Joke Silva, but it was Joseph Benjamin who surprisingly displayed his depth as an actor, by his actions making the audience confront our society’s hypocrisy in dealing with issues we consider disgraceful.

Apart from one or two hiccups – about three scenes where the camera movement made my eyes dizzy, and the inappropriate costuming of one of the characters – ‘Tango with me’ is a fine movie and another triumph for Nollywood.