Trino Motion Pictures presents Beverly Naya (Sarah), Uzor Arukwe (Fred), Adunni Ade (Joy), Bimbo Ademoye (Lizzy), Broda Shaggi (Kabiru), Daniel Etim Effiong (Dare), Bucci Franklin (Michael), Bolaji Ogunmolan (Lara), Ates Brown (Gloria). Director of Photography, Idown Adedapo; Executive Producer, Babatunwa Aderinokun; Producer, Iche Okocha a.m.p; Written by, Ebgemawei Dimiyei Sammy; Director, Lyndsey Efejuku. © 2022
Sarah (Beverly Naya), who could act in Kambili: The Whole 30 Yards (2020), Believe In You (2020) and Across The Rising Sun (2020), with such sunshine and allure couldn’t pull it here. I could mark her here as gloomy, unloved, abused, underappreciated, and one who has lost self-confidence. Her face is gloomy, morose, bleak, and vexing. By the nature of Sarah’s character in the play, yes, she needs to look sanguine. Yet, she gets stuck and uptight like a starched shirt, and looks mournful; like one who has lost all. Sarah has some weaknesses. She must be overly in love with Dare, and because she is inefficient, could not find a better love than Dare, hence she stands the beating and trashing and all.
What I missed in this movie, is the kind of characteristic display of Ramsey Nouah’s abusive behavior in his relationship with Omotola Jalade in Private Storm (2010). The scribe did give us a reason why the demon was eating at him––his tumultuous relationship with his stepfather. Here, the writer did not peel out the character of Dare (Daniel Etim Effiong). Why could he be so abusive? I won’t interfere with the audience’s take on this movie, but why are we not allowed to know the background history of Dare as to what makes him tick? That bugs me! We need an exposure. He only comes and causes havoc on the poor girl, Sarah, and goes. Vanishes. Filmic knowledge makes it plausible for viewers to experience the deeper character of the personality who causes hell in the life of this innocent girl, Sarah. “I didn’t see it. You?”
The One for Sarah opens with Sarah reciting self-therapy lines: “I’m beautiful…I’m strong…I’m successful…I’m a phenomenal woman and I’m great.” That’s her every morning psalm she recites, before stepping out her door, to her fashion designing and boutique shop. Not a big shop, but one that holds only her and herself. This evening coming home late, Kabiru (Brodder Shaggie) the gate man, shuts her out and she must jump the fence. She gets stuck but is saved from it even with a torn skirt, by Michael (Bucci Franklin), a neighbor who lives in the estate with her.
Sarah has a problem with “pigs” as she refers to all men. Yet, here comes this fella, Fred (Uzor Arukwe), who offers her his blazer to cover her naked behind. A date comes out of this unfortunate incident, even as it didn’t go out as we may, or Sarah could expect. She still retains a remnant of her abusive relationship with Dare. As nature could have it, Fred’s evening date could have saved Michael’s drunken sister off the street, and Sarah sees it from afar, with a different take. As usual, all men are “pigs,” she claims, which breaks her heart and even trashes her ‘Hail Mary’ strips on her dressing mirror.
Good acting must look like not acting at all. An actor must own his/her part and give confidence to viewers that they are looking and in company with the actor, they saw on the billboard who attracted them to the movie house. At such times anyway, we are not thinking about the writers or the directors, even as we later consider their levels of achievements after watching the picture. But before anything else, the burden of beauty or ugliness shall depend upon the acting or actors. Besides Beverly’s gloomy face throughout the picture which demonstrates her lack of confidence and hopefulness, in herself and her future, hence repeatedly saying her “Hail Mary,” Michael efficiently proves his role as her humbug and never stops taunting her from the night he saves her off the fence gate. His interaction with Sarah is more of a comic relief in the story.
Fred’s and Dare’s business relationship is not deep. This means Fred and Dare are diametrically, dramatically opposed to one another, unbeknownst of each other––such a beautiful dramatic ploy. Their closeness is only to demonstrate to us so we can expect a final blowout and a fallout: Dare is in Fred’s office when Sarah wants to initiate a call to him about his blazer. Both partners are bewildered when Fred catches Dare in Sarah’s pad just as Dare batons Michael as he lies on the floor unconscious.
Lizzy (Bimbo Ademoyan) must come in as a dear friend of Sarah. She motivates her to get out of the shackles of self-defeat and once more gain her self-confidence. I like the scene where she lectures Sarah to recite the “Hail Mary,” like a strict mother teaching a daughter good manner, on a serious note, but at the same time playful, “Louder, with life and confidence,” she tells her, almost shouting, as she holds Sarah and straightens her up from her poor posture.
Here, I must chip in to help Lizzy dispel Sarah’s distress with these simple Doris Day’s, Que Sarah lyrics:
When I grew up and fell in love
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead.
Will we have rainbows day after day?
Here’s what my sweetheart said
Que Sarah, Sarah
Whatever will be, will be
The future’s not ours to see
Que Sarah, Sarah
What will be, will be…
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