Title: Guilty Pleasures

Producer: Emem Isong and Desmond Elliot.

Director: Daniel Ademinokan & Desmond Elliot.

THIS STORY was told from the end forward. It is driven through a (rather confusing) conversation at the beginning of the movie by Liz (Nse Ikpe-Etim) and Nse (Omoni Oboli), who met at a travel agency and struck a friendship. Liz felt neglected and controlled by a domineering husband, Tesor (Ramsey Noah). It became all too much and drove her into the arms of someone close to the husband.

Nse meets a struggling photographer, and at their honeymoon, the husband was already cheating with Boma (Mercy Johnson). These are twin stories centred on familiar themes: relationship, betrayal, infidelity, love, deceit, insecurity and trust.

The acting in the film however is top-notch with Liz (Nse Ikpe-Etim) impressing with her acting, including – perhaps especially – because she was able to switch between English and Pidgin English with amazing fluidity.  Thankfully, the rest of the cast held their own.

The cinematography is superb, showing a coming of age for Nollywood directors who know their craft. The last scene was mighty impressive – drama and emotions deepened by great camera work and lighting.

There are some problems though. In some instances the pictures didn’t flow seamlessly; clearly a glitch in the editing process. The plot, while engaging, also seems altogether underdeveloped – the end is underdeveloped, not reaching any logical conclusion. There were scenes that were prolonged and should have been cut out. And there was, of course, absolutely no need for the split into two parts. But, hey, Nollywood it is.

Finally, the film was a good movie in totality. The few errors enumerated above didn’t blemish the brilliant acting and wonderful script. The film is a good sign that we have good directors and scriptwriters in Nollywood and with time things would turn out better in the movie industry.

–      Ifeh Agbonmire

Oluwapelumi