By Ali Baylay

The Untold Truth explores a family situation we all have either witnessed or have been part of. I witnessed such situation growing up in my home town: A rich and powerful man in my quarter had an only girl in all girls dormitory, but she had the habit of stealing anything from her fellow girls: panties, shoes, dresses or anything she lays her hands on in seclusion, and she did this just for the heck of it. My neighbor’s girl continued this habit  and was eventually expelled from the all girls school and thus brought home shame to her parents. In a parallel circumstance as in The Untold Story, the rich man’s sister who couldn’t bear an issue of her own was blamed for the unfortunate situation.

Samuel Okafor’s production of The Untold Truth is a story of parental dilemma and shame. Chief Okenwa’s (Kofi Adjorlolo) son suddenly arrives in a cab from Canada with not a single luggage. Though this manner of arrival doesn’t sit well with either the mother, Lolo (Patience Ozokwo) or the sister, Nkiru (Mercy Johnson) the family swallow it all and sit down and wait until the thieving habits of Peter (Francis Duru) begins to surface.

From then on, Peter’s thieving habits becomes frequent and so the family continue to be embarrassed. He steals the jeans of a brother of a girl he wants to marry, steals the cellphone of his sister’s boyfriend, and shoplifts a store when he’s in the company of his sister. Meanwhile, the churches are been consulted and each gives their opinion and help to wade this curse, and yet, Peter’s thieving habit persists, to the utter embarrassment of all in the family even to the point of himself breaking up when he steals his sister’s boyfriend’s cellphone. By contrivance, the priest points the brother of the chief to be the perpetrator of the curse, as he showers him in the blessed pool.

The line up of actors and their acting make this story a memorable one. Kofi Adjorolo’s character in this heavy drama is one of a father who abandons his household affair in return for politics. Patience Ozokwo has never been so caring in a household as in this film. Mercy Johnson’s acting weaves  the fragile plots of the movie together to make it all the more memorable. Francis Duru’s character carries the burden of this film to the finish line and he does a good job at it.

If the essence of the story as was envisioned by the writer could be what I felt after watching this film, then he really got me. The movie left  me reeling with  pain, shame, sadness and despair for Francis Duru’s character. It evokes a paranoid state of mind of Peter, which shows in his disjointed deliveries, his uncertain gaze, and his sluggish gait. The film could be classified as a painful and depressing experience, that leaves one cold and tired,  especially for the parent sensing either his son or daughter caught  in such a low life behavior.

In considering the manner in which part two of the film ends, the writer didn’t do Peter justice by living him unchanged, and my soft heart follows such memorable character and acting eternally. Well, not every movie has to be  fun, or ends with, ‘happily ever after.’

By David Ajiboye

Silent Cry is one of the latest movies from the stable of foremost gospel movie company in Nigeria, Mount Zion Film Productions.

The story revolves around a man of God, Pastor Joseph Mayowa who does not have time for his family. He devotes his whole life to his secular work and his church. This attitude of negligence greatly affects his wife and two children. Mrs. Mayowa secretly bears the pains of her husband’s unbecoming attitude alone especially as she does not want to expose his behavior to the congregation. Despite this, the duo has the ability to counsel  other couples and mend their broken homes.

Along the line, Pastor Mayowa’s old time girl friend in secondary school, Moji, meets him after they have lost contact for about 24 years. Moji pressurizes Pastor Mayowa to refresh their old time love, but Pastor Mayowa refuses all her advances with the reason that they are now both  married and more so that, he is now a born again child of God, and even being a pastor. However, this does not stop Moji from continuing in her advances to Pastor Mayowa.

The last plan for Moji is to trail Pastor Mayowa from Port Harcourt to Lagos, where the latter has been invited to preach in a sister church. Moji craftily ’smuggles’ herself into Pastor Mayowa’s hotel room. This leaves the innocent Pastor puzzled as he wonders how the woman get to know about his programme, and even knows the hotel he’s being accomodated.

Meanwhile serious battle ensues between them in the room. His host Pastor Joel happens upon the event in the hotel room, and reports the incident to Pastor Philips, the General Overseer of Pastor Mayowa’s church, and after the emergency Ministers meeting, Pastor Mayowa is suspended.

During the spiritual incarceration, Pastor Mayowa changes his attitude towards his family by the power of God and his suspension is lifted and he gets restored back to his pastoral work.

This ninety-five minute movie proffered solutions for everyone passing through situations they cannot share or discuss with people. Silent Cry features artistes like Israel Ore-Adewole, Florence Adegunle, ace gospel singer-Tope Alabi, Lekan Asikhia and many others. The executive producers are are Evangelists Mike and Gloria Bamiloye and directed by Elvon Jarrett.

Photos by David Ajiboye

A movie shot on a budget of $15,000 or less cannot show many of the elements that it takes to make a film a commercial success. It could be graded more on essence; but filmmakers don’t usually achieve their purpose when such elements are either absent or compromised in films.

Desmond Elliot pulls a fine performance here as Eva in this cultic flick. His limping and confident smooth talking makes him all the more believable. He costars with Emeka Ike who portrays Maurice, a Saul Bellow like character of want-want-want! Not too good a performance, though.

In the film, a rich girl’s father is out to get Maurice. His mother is detained as a pawn. Thus, Maurice becomes homeless, banned by the thugs from his own home. He ends up driving a raggedy VW Beetle as a taxi only to be burnt again by the rich man’s thugs. Upon escaping from the scene, he runs into an evangelical pastor (I guess they’re everywhere in Nigeria) by the wayside, who hires Maurice to kill his bible-quoting mother because she stands between him and his desires. Maurice is initiated in the Great Ambassadors, a  satanic cult, by his best friend Eva. I guess joining the Great Ambassadors gives Maurice’s character an identity.

Storytelling, unlike fine arts, must not puzzle the viewer. Films are not poems though they may be poetic. The story must be clear even if the theme is open for interpretation. Also, inaudible and verbose dialogue irritates viewers and creates confusion. Warriors of Satan becomes maddeningly confusing from the point Maurice joins the Great Ambassadors. I keep asking myself who is the star of this film? Eva (Desmond Elliot) and Maurice (Emeka Ike) combat for the lead role. Eva has more scenes than Maurice and is the only actor we see in the last scene of Part 2. However, the cover of this dark flick proclaims: “They wanted him at all cost but the mother was the only obstacle, so the only way was to kill her. Did Maurice succeed with the cult?” I have to wonder if Maurice even deserved the top billing in the movie!

Warriors of Satan 3 may have the answer but don’t be surprised if it morphs into “THE GREAT AMBASSADORS.”

Ali Baylay, Publisher/USA

Today, we announce the launch of The African Movie Star entertainment site. This site will bring you the very best news and journalism covering the African filmmaking and movie celebrity scene, in a delightful manner as never seen before. This is your alternative site for fair and equal exposure of all African movie personalities in the diaspora. Besides personality interviews, gossips, lifestyles, we shall bring you features covering new and upcoming talents, how to sell scripts to Nollywood, and educate young writers and producers about making it in the business. MEET YOUR STARS!