SV Production Presents: Van Vicker (Bruce), Uche Jumbo (Trap), Queen Nwakoye (Gina), Brown Igbeowu (Scam), Jim Lawson (Don Jaja), Ndu King (Collins), Raphael Obaje (Dr. Mark), John Collins Okpara (Mick), Benson Okonkwo (Cross), Virus .V (Koko). Story, Saintz Vincent; Screenplay, Saintz Vincent, Ndu King, Mr. Rex; Director of Photography, Samuel Okkakume; Editor, Cliffmanuel Akoma; Producer, Saintz Vincent; Director, Gochi Olisaemeka E. (C2011)
Any movie that is ten percent dialogue and ninety percent action, is an action movie, with all the perks, and trappings. You hear characters called, “Cross”, “Scam” (Scum?), “Trap”, etc.That’s what makes “Neat Job” an action packed movie. It has the characteristic of informants getting their necks wrung up in public toilets, okada riders harassed as possible informants, hotel receptionists embroiled in situations they have no clues, guns tucked in the backs of everyone’s pants and all are on the trail of one thing: a gray briefcase full of what only God knows. But they are running, adrenalin-drenched, high octane, lots of blood spewed, and all on four gears to get to that briefcase first. Bruce (Van Vicker) has it.
An ex-convict, Bruce loses his girlfriend to an armed robbery that went wrong, when Don Jaja (Jim Lawson), and Collins (Ndu King) team up together and make away with five million nairas from her. Bruce promises revenge and recovery of the dough. Being an ex-con and knows where the sharks hang out, Bruce is at present when Collins is instructing his younger brother, Mick (John Collins Okpara) to go and get prepared so they can get out of town. His aim is to double cross Don Jaja and his gang.
While Collins is hold up in a motel room with a girlfriend, Cross (Benson Okonkwo) bursts in and put both he and his girl at gunpoint, gets him gagged and makes away with a briefcase full of money. When Cross thinks he’s made a clean get away, Bruce too sticks him up and get away with the briefcase. The underworld of crime in the city is sensitized by the disappearance of the loot. Don Jaja is looking for Collins, Collins is looking for Bruce, Cross is looking for Bruce. Bruce is all alone with his bottle of army bitters wine, and sips on from time to time.
Along the way, there’re shoot outs, informants are beaten up, and some necks get wrung up, night clubs terrorized and so on. It is deception after deception as Bruce eludes his pursuers, and he in fact always gains upper hand on them. To get him cornered, Bruce’s sister Gena (Queen Nwakoye) after killing her fiance, is held by Don Jaja until Bruce brings back his money. It all goes down in a big clearing away from town. Here too, Bruce outwit Don Jaja by letting a girl drives her car and delivers the empty briefcase, while he walks up on Don Jaja from behind and disarm them and finally makes a clean get away with his sister.
Neat Job is not quite neat as the name signifies. It would be neat if no blood spills, not a culprit and not any suspects killed in cold blood. It would have been neat if the underworld did not bring their activity to the over world. How could it be a neat job when there’s blood in motel rooms bath walls splattered with blood of victims, some committed in public places, where there are eye witnesses?
What I observed about this movie’s writer or producers is to present Van Vicker as the American Bruce Willis, in the 1988 Die Hard, They create him with an aura of Bruce Willis, a focused character, self reliant and, one who breaks the rules and fights to the last. And you must notice why Van Vicker’s screen name as Bruce, is no coincidence. However, the movie passes as a classic gangster and crime movie, our African way. I love it with all my heart.