By David Ajiboye
Free Gift International Film and Theatre Ministry presents Bankoli Adams (Kate), Moyo Ola-Oludiya (Judith), Eric Amole Adams (Fred), Deborah Agboye (Mary), Favour Abraham (Deaconess Mary), Chester Osaji (Husband), Lanre Sodepe (Tony), Busola Onobanjo (Kemisola), Josephine Alabi (Feyi), Francis Olorunyomi (Akpan). Director, Ayortunde Yoloye. © 2020
Kate ( Banke Amole-Adams) is a sexually dissatisfied Christian wife that has never really enjoyed sex with her husband but has not been able to communicate this to him. She can share her problems with her close friend Judith (Moyo Ola-Oludiya) and leaders in the church but not with her husband. In a bid to address this issue, Kate considers using pornography to spice up her sex life. An unplanned pregnancy further complicates her life as she struggles between doing what she knows is right and the easy option of abortion.
Kate’s husband Fred (Eric Amole Adams), is unemployed. He is a spiritually sensitive man with a strong passion for evangelism and soul-winning. However, his financial position somewhat inhibits and weakens him, and finds it difficult to put his foot down on issues in his family, mainly when dealing with his wife. She is the breadwinner of the family.
Mary (Deborah Agboye), 15, is Kate’s daughter. She is under pressure from her peers to lose her virginity like them. Mary struggles internally not to bow to the weight but deep down, curious to learn more about and experience and pleasure of sex. Her parents are not talking to her about it, so the closest people she has to give her guidance are her friends and Akpan. Her parent’s houseboy, Akpan, (Francis Olorunyomi), is continuously looking for young girls with whom he can sleep. His gentle mien makes him the ultimate unsuspecting predator.
Kate’s neighbor, Deaconess Mary (Favour Abraham), is a woman who is on fire for the Lord, always actively involved in one program or the other for the church or ministry. She appears to be in full control of her life, has a happy marriage, and a reasonably good relationship with her husband. She is the go-to person for many believers for counsel on marital issues, particularly on sex-related matters. Her husband, (Chester Osagie), is a respected elder in the church. He is a strict disciplinarian who keeps his children and, indeed, all young people around him on a tight leash, a role his wife appreciates since her commitment to ministry takes a toll on the time she has available for her children.
Deaconess Mary and her husband have two children – Tony (Lanre Sodipe) is a handsome, sexually active young man who must have his regular dose of sex. He doesn’t see any problem with having multiple sex partners as long as he takes the right precautions to avoid any unwanted pregnancy. His philosophy is simple: learn how to use your sexual apparatus in your youth so you can enjoy a sexually fulfilling life in the future. Once he sets his sights on a woman, he doesn’t stop until he has slept with her. His views sets on Kemisola (Busola Onabanjo), the pretty prude amongst her friends, committed to a life of sexual purity and determined to go to her marriage bed as a virgin. Kemisola stands for Jesus, despite friends’ effort to ridicule her or get her to compromise in relationships with men. Tony knows this but is still determined to sleep with her anyway.
Feyi (Josephine Alabi), in her first appearance on screen, seems to know a lot more about sex than girls her age. She craves the attention of her mother, who is just too busy working for the Lord to give her the time she needs. Though her parents are ministers of the gospel, she has her doubts about Jesus and his love for her.
As these characters interact with each other, some soon get entrapped in a web of lies and the snare of Soul ties and are gradually thrust into the murky waters of sex abuse, Lesbianism, masturbation, pornography, sex outside marriage and the challenge of dealing with sexual pressure in an increasingly sexually permissive world. Unknowingly they begin to carry unusual smells around, and the odor they exude progressively becomes more offensive. Events finally compel them to confront the root cause of the strange Smell that follows them.
This movie is a must-watch for both the young and old who are sexually active but unmarried, have been sexually abused, or are struggling to deal with sexual pressure or deviance. It is a movie for married couples dissatisfied with their sex lives and especially for teenagers and youths under the onslaught of peer pressure for sex. It is an eye-opener for parents, church leaders, school teachers, and leaders of young people to the multifaceted dimensions of sex and sexuality amongst the youth in today’s world. It is a movie for all who seek to be able to understand and give sound counsel on the sexual realities and challenges we all face today. It is a movie for all who desire to live sexually compliant lives before God.
Ayotunde Yoloye directs The Smell. He and the screenwriter, take a bold initiative to delve the many realms of issues, which few people want to talk about-Sex! The Smell discusses it. The movie shot on location in Lagos and 90 minutes screen time, chronicles the lives of the members of two families that are connected and intertwined by a series of bizarre but yet not uncommon circumstances. The Smell introduces Busola Onobanjo, Josephine Alabi, Francis Olorunyomi, and Debora Agboye as first-time screen players, and they act like pros.