African Movie Review

Friends in Love ~ 2009
Story, Screenplay and Direction – Tchidi Chikere

Starring:
Majid Michel – Chike
Tonto Dikeh – Debby
Uru Eke – Bella
Ejine Okoroafor – Bianca
Irenila Nneka Eze – Susan
Sylvan Ugwumadu – Receptionist
Jerry Okpar – Ismeal
Kingsley Godwin – Susan’s Boyfriend

Themes Explored:
Jealousy
Bitterness
Forgiveness
Love
Trust

My Rating – 43%

Having been recently proposed to by her boyfriend Chike, Debby is having doubts. She feels that the relationship has developed too quickly and that she does not know him well enough to accept the proposal. Anxious to make sure that she is making the right decision she enlists the help of a friend Bella to act as a honey trap. Bella is bitter having been hurt by men and is more than happy to assist Debby in her mission. She is convinced that she will catch Debby’s intended husband cheating on the first day and so is wholly surprised when she discovers that he is clean living and loyal. Almost disbelieving that such a man can exist she decides that he is too good to let another woman have. Debby calls Bella for an update with regards to the surveillance operation and is told,

“Your boyfriend is worst than a dog.”

She has decided that she wants him for herself and so the chase begins.

*************SPOILERS*************

Bella uses her cousin Bianca to set up Debby into thinking that Chike is cheating on her (or like Tonto says, “chiting.”) Her plan backfires and very soon he gets it into his head that Bianca is his soul mate and it is fate that keeps making them cross paths. Rather than fall for Bella he falls for Bianca and begins to use Bella as a sounding board, much to her frustration.
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The girl who introduces Bella and Debby is a useless actress. Tip: If you must have someone that useless, either out of pity, nepotism or free labour you should at least give them a role where they do not need to speak. On failing that you should not put them in the first few scenes because it can put people off.

I must mention Tonto’s face. It is getting lighter and brighter. She is now around Majid’s colour. She is no longer lightskinned she has transformed into bleachskinned glow in the dark. I could not stop staring in amazement, she also had in some light eye colour contact lenses and her eyes were looking itchy. She would not have looked out of place in a horror film. All I have to say to that is… take a look at Uche Uwuji and mind yaself. It is not a good look at all!

Acting wise I normally love Tonto’s performances. Here I must say I was not feeling her at all. It didn’t seem like she gave herself to the character. She was just reading lines and overdoing it at the same time. Uru Eke too, major disappointment. Majid Michel was just OK, nothing special. I have to blame it on the direction because I know all of them can and normally do, do better.
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The story in itself was not bad but the execution was terrible. There were too many unnecessary scenes. Cars driving, gates being opened and closed, watching Majid do fellowship and a friends house, Walking in the park, hugging (for a good 5 minutes WTF?) just nothingness with music over the top. It was never ending and booooring. Editing was rubbish. At the end of part 2 there is the static like a phone is going to ring… TWICE. Why didn’t they reshoot or edit it out? This is not the sort of quality I would expect from a Tchidi movie.

We get an epilogue at the end of part 1 saying, “It was later discovered that Bella was one behind the set up. She was disgraced and rejected by all her friends.” How can you have an epilogue when you have a part 2 that goes on to show the rest of the story. Tchidi did this in Beautiful Soul too. Part 2 was slightly more interesting but only by a small margin. There was a good build up of dramatic tension just before the confrontation between Bianca, Chike and Bella. I was wondering why Bella confessed, it seemed out of place because she did not appear to be truly sorry, neither did she have a next plan up her sleeve and they were not good friends so I wondered what the point of that was.
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I would not recommend this movie. When you counter in the fact that this is a Tchidi movie AND starring heavyweights like Majid and Uru Eke (Widow’s Men), it is even more sorrily disappointing how bad it is. Part one is 55 minutes and part 2 is 45 minutes, add into that a lot of filler and few years ago this would have been less than a one part film. The dialogue was basic and uninteresting and despite having a great cast the performances fell flat. Thumbs down!

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