Movie review: ‘Deep inside’ is a silly silly film

by Wilfred Okiche

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There is a scene early in ‘Deep inside’ directed by Lancelot Odua-Imasuen that foretells exactly the kind of experience that awaits audiences. Zach Orji plays a stupendously wealthy family patriach whose only wish is for his daughter (Omoni Oboli) to bring home a husband, any husband would do. After one of his nagging episodes (the first half hour is essentially a replay of the very first scene), he suffers a heart attack and is hospitalized. The hospital scene is very shoddily done and lacks any form of attention to detail. Apart from the dubious medical knowledge displayed by the dude who plays the doctor, the setup is non-professional. Mr Orji has an intravenous fluid attached to his arm but nothing is obviously going into his body. The fluid giving set is taped to his skin and not attached to a cannula. Worse still, instead of facing the direction of his heart, the fluid is facing outwards towards the opposite direction. Anyone who walks out at this point would be suitably justified.

Those who stay are rewarded with more inanity. The unnecessary introductory scene builds to a contrived set up. Ms Oboli, playing the eager to please daughter propositions a former classmate (Uti Nwachukwu) and out of gratitude and loyalty, he agrees on a make shift marriage, lasting long enough until her father recuperates. His own fiancée is bull dozed into agreeing on the terms but before long she begins to feel left out. And maybe for a good reason.

‘Deep inside’ tries to be a romantic comedy but there is barely any hint of either in the final draft. The whole film is shoddily put together, roughly cut and tackily edited. Continuity is awful and the film feels like a big lumbering animal; waddling about, ungraceful and careless. Sound is bad and most of the supporting cast is either overacting or not acting at all.

There is hardly any direction at all and everyone appears left to their own devices. The result of such non-direction is that actors who want to be good find a way to squeeze out something on their own volition. Omoni Oboli is a fine actress but there is nothing here that challenges her. She however puts in a game performance and together with Zach Orji makes for the most watchable moments of the film.

Uti Nwachukwu is still struggling with his craft and a capable director can at times, squeeze something credible out of him. None of that is happening here and he goes through the entire film with a mopey grin plastered on his face. This grin manages to come through no matter what emotion or state of mind he is required to express. The lady who plays the fiancee’s mother is so bad her scenes are barely watchable plus the scenes are too cliched, it is a wonder the editor okayed them for final draft.

The chemistry between Nwachukwu and Oboli is practically non-existent and nobody bothered to develop its potential. First they are platonic friends, the next moment they cannot live without each other. The gap from there to here is glaring. How in the world did it happen?

It is a shame that there is hardly nothing to recommend about ‘Deep inside’ despite the top notch talent attached to it. The good thing is both Zach Orji and Omoni Oboli are in other films currently playing or scheduled to be released soon. Save your money.

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