by Wilfred Okiche

As Nollywood films go, this one is better than most.

Let’s just come right out and say it, this film is not based on the Mercy Johnson wedding drama that played out earlier in the year. We accept that there might be some similarities, for one, there is a wedding, hmn, there is a baby too, and maybe lead actress Keira Hewatch bears more than a striking resemblance to Ms Johnson, but still we stand by our point that this is a different saga entirely.

 O.C Ukeje and Keira Hewatch are the not-so-perfect couple whose occasionally stormy relationship hits a brick wall when his ex-shows up with a baby on the eve of their wedding. Will they go on with the nuptials or is the tide strong enough to sink the union?

As Nollywood films go, this one is better than most. A lot of thought went into selecting the locations, the sets were beautiful and the picture quality was fantastic. The sound quality was fine also and Teco Benson’s smooth direction proves he can switch easily from action sequences to love scenes. The back-and-forth switching from past to present may leave some folks dizzy but it takes nothing from the overall experience.

Romantic comedies are not known to have award-winning performances but the ensemble cast keeps the story moving along. Newbie Kiera Hewatch’s character is not particularly likeable but the actress manages to squeeze out some sympathy from the audience. O.C Ukeje is the groom who is frustrated at every turn by the mistakes of his past. While he is a strong contender for future leading man status, he and Stella Damasus are not quite equally matched as her character was ready to swallow him whole for breakfast. And she does.

Chelsea Eze and Okey Uzoeshi do justice as supporting role acts and their commendable effects could score some much needed career advancement if the right people are watching.

The only negative comment here comes as a result of Kalu Ikeagwu’s performance his Yoruba accent is far from convincing and it is so ridiculous that we actually find it quite amusing. Comedy though, is not his strongest suit, it seems.

For a rom-com, it has more romance than comedy. Ladies might love it but their poor boyfriends might find it a tad tedious sitting through. The story takes it’s time and drags on unnecessarily- that was as clichéd as they come and that was its major flaw. The last scene was so contrived and credited the audience with no form of intelligence whatsoever. Still I did not notice any lady complain- and we all love an archetypal happy ending, don’t we?

At the end of the day this is a film more admired than loved. It shows that with the right hands, Nollywood can make a decent movie, and this is a decent film indeed.

Oluwapelumi