STORY: Christopher Ozoemena
GRAPHICS: Kunle Adenle
MUSIC: Austine Erowele
FILM EDITOR: Bode Akintoye
PRODUCER: Christopher Ozoemena
DIRECTOR: Andy Nwakalor
LOCATION: Abuja, FCT (Nigeria)
PRODUCTION PLATFORM: DE-KROSS Movies Production
YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 2011
DIVISIONS: 4 Parts


STARRING:
Ini Edo
Nonso Diobi
Yvonne Okoro
Tonto Dike
John Dumelo
Chika Ike
Annie Macaulay
Arthus Frank
Emeka Amakaeze
Maureen Ihua

THEME:
Family Challenges(60%)
Government and Corruption(30%)
Violence(10%)

First you need to know im not a nollywood fan. it is almost three years since i last watched one(except Jennifer 1& 2) due to the obvious factors! On this faithful day i was forced (my sister wanted to watch and i was at home, I decided to engage in other things but shockingly, the very first scene caught my attention):O since i watched this movie last year december, i have come to realise that there are good nollywood movies.the bad ones are just so plenty that they have overshadowed the good ones. I watched this movie, and my love for nolly wood suddenly came back to live! i decided to start watching it again, but guess what? i bought 3 movies after this one and it was total crap as usual...! well thats a topic for another day, so lets get back to the main topic.

SUMMARY:
Im not a kinda person that narrate stories. its better you have the feel yourself, i won't spoil it for you. Meanwhile, What the movie is about is; 4 newly wedded couples and the various challenges each of the families are going through.

[size=16pt]NOW TO MY VIEWS AND RATINGS[/size]

ORIGINALITY OF THE STORY: 4 out of 5
On this, i had to even ask my sister cos the story doesnt look like a copied one. It is different from the usual way of a nollywood stories; though the ending somehow resembles the nollywood ending..but there is a lot to make you not to notice it. but the story is really a nice one generally.

TREND: 4 out of 5
As I said earlier, the very first beginning caught my attention....it has a very catchy beginning that makes you wanna watch, and it has a kinda trend that keeps you glued to your TV and you never get bored(i gave it a four cos of some junior scenes..........but dont mind me ). And i personally like those flashbacks.....the story was not just going in one direction. 'The twist' was also introduced when Katy was later blamed for everything, when she got pregnant, and many more...........

VIDEO QUALITY: 5 0ut 5
I was so surprised that i could actually see clearly:O...in a nollywood movie? the video quality is a superb one. it was so obvious that it was an HD camera (hollywood standard, trust me). the carriage was also mindblowingly done...Gosh, that really made my day. Note: there are some other few nollywood movies with HD cameras like Return of Jennifer, Cindy,s note etc

AUDIO QUALITY: 5 out of 5
I was also suprised that i could both see and hear clearly in just one nollywood movie? WONDERFUL! This time, you dont have to near your fingers to the volume button.......the speeches of each character can be heard clearly and it blended with eachother(one was not louder)......There was no external disturbances, you hear only what it is expected to be heard(No generator sounds, no crowd noise, etc). It is so clear like the word clear..........

EDITING AND GRAPHICS: 5 out of 5
Bode and Kunle really did a great job! The editing was surprising; no long dragged scenes, no unnecessary features, The right musicals are inserted where they are ought to, The skyscrapers etc......Inshort, it was reasonably done.

SOUNDTRACKS: 5 out of 5
The soundtracks are so nice that i had to rip it and store it on my phone.....Gosh, i love that lady's voice; so sexy. The other musicals are also rightly placed.

SETTING: 5 out of 5
The settings and the settings and the settings and the settings and the settings all over and over again! Yea! it is that nice! Maybe the reason is because the movie was shot in Abuja. What i just know is that they really did a good job picking the locations. Because i was already tired of films shot in Lagos, warri, Asaba etc and you see dirts, dusty roads and untarred streets.No good portrayal of the country's beauty at all. It is only in nollywood that i see portrayals of the undeveloped parts of the country rather than improve tourism by showing the country's beauty. For christ's sake there are more beautiful places in those states than those locations they normally use. This movie really showed the beauty of Nigeria. They made use of places such as Ivory Bush Resort, The Rocky areas in abj etc.....and i even saw the national Church while they were showing the road traffic in between the scenes. This made the movie more catchy.

ACTING: 3 out of 5
The acting was really perfect, although to some extent.........YVONNE OKORO really rocked the film, i never new she could act that much; i love her choice of words(the english was flowing through her, she was not flowing through the english like TONTO DIKE; God no make Tonto Dike fans kill me for hear o. I love INI EDO's accent and she did her part perfectly as well. As for CHIKA IKE, i think her acting potential is dwindling....she better watch it! but she was ok in the film though, but she sounded a little bit scripted(but i love it anyways. And why does she like to say the phrase "I mean" everytime? ANNIE MACAULAY also rocked the film...but i personally think she was overacting at a point. Meanwhile, i love her choice of words as well. TONTO DIKE also did her part perfectly, though in dialogue scenes, she sometimes "parambulates" before eventually making her point ( and u will be like, so this is what all the long diverted statement is about?) I dont really take note of the male actors in movies but i think JOHN DUMELO and NONSO DIOBI did well, EMEKA was also not bad, but the acting of that JUNIOR(dont know his real name) sucked a little. But to be honest, there are some acting that really sucked!e.g. The Medical director scenes, The scenes of one police man like that and 'the Undertaker' scenes(i was thinking it will be one rugged guy, only to see one cool looking guy who was even unable to light the cigarette quickly; thanks to the editor that covered him up a little. what am i saying in essence? =They should have used someone else..that guy does not fit the part, PERIODD!!! ARTHUS FRANK acted well, but i hate his pronounciation and liberian accent like shit!!!!!!!! But 'after all in all' The acting was generally ok.

OUTSTANDING SCENES:
1. When Susan(yvonne okoro) and Greg were going for the get together and Greg(john dumelo) was carrying all the luggage, i love the interaction...it looked natural
2. When they were discussing and Vivian(tonto dike) was pissed off with susan's(yvonne okoro) attitude, i love her reaction...........and when Sussan replied Pete(nonso diobo) with 'shut up there! is it my fault that your wife was raped?!' I was like what da Bleep!!!!! in short, Yvonne Okoro is so natural in her acting.
3. I also like some Ini Edo scenes like when she was crying, it looked real.
4. I also like the dialogue scene between the gurls in part 1 and their funny talks.......they made it real cos those are the funny topics girls discuss when they are chatting.

MEMORABLE SCENES:
1.During the get together, everyone was pissed already..Susan was about standing up and her speeches was; 'Bleep you and this your stupid get together, we are all bitch! Yea! Useless man where are you? (and she called him with a tone that sounded like calling on a dog with his name), Useless!!!
2. When chika ike was accusing Tonto dike of drinking a glass of alcohol'Viv, you said youve quit drinking, so what are you doing now with a drink in your hand?!' Tonto Dike replied, 'Katie is pregnant! shes pregnant for the senator's son, and his friends!'. she was shocked and asked for a bottle and again two bottles of the drink., it was acted in a funny manner.

THE FLAWS: I saw just two flaws in this movie(surprised? dont be.)
1. There was a scene in which surgery was been performed, and there was no oxygen mask in the nostrils of the patient, what a silly mistake! is he supposed to be breathing by himself?*thumbs down* to the director of the hospital scene. To me, it was very glaring but surprisingly, i was the only one who noticed it among the people that watched the movie.
2............. At the end of the movie, I was like whatever happened to the guy who actually raped katie??
*and again..............why was katie still pregnant after one year when clare has given birth to hers? well im sure there must be an explanation for this one, maybe i didnt listen properly.*

THERE IS THIS ERROR THAT IS COMMON TO NIGERIAN MOVIES HOSPITAL SCENES; THEY PORTRAY DOCTORS AS A BOSS TO THE NURSES...IT PISSES ME OFF SO MUCH. DOCTORS, NURSES AND PHARMACISTS ARE MERELY WORK COLLEAGUES AND NONE IS SUPERIOR TO THE OTHER COS THEY PERFORM DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS. IN NIGERIAN MOVIES, YOU SEE NURSES REPLYING DOCTORS WITH 'YES SIR' BOWING THEIR HEADS LIKE THEIR BOSS IS TALKING TO THEM INSTEAD OF JUST 'YES DOCTOR'. THEN AGAIN, DOCTORS CALLING THE NURSES THIS WAY; 'NURSE TITI(THEIR 1ST NAME), INSTEAD OF CALLING THEM BY THEIR RANK FOLLOWED BY SURNAME. EG, STAFF OR MATRON OKORO. IM LIKE WHY DO THEY Bleep UP IN PROFESSIONAL SCENES (SAME WITH POLICE FORCE, LAW ETC). CAN'T THEY ASK A PROFESSSIONAL TO DIRECT THE SCENES WELL, THAT'S A TOPIC FOR ANOTHER DAY.

MY RATING: 75% - it is a must watch for everyone! it is the kinda movies we want in NOLLYWOOD



[size=20pt] THANKS FOR YOUR TIME[/size]

Here is a link to the trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DC7WdMoi5i0o

Please share your views....those who have watched it can also correct me or add their views....

.....tnks

.

Your analysis was spot on! Yvonne Okoro carried this film. I was wary of that scene where the husband is pulling the luggage and she's shouting at him because it seemed like a distance to walk and I was worried it would be a waste of film, but somehow her interaction with John Dumelo and her overall character made that my favorite scene.

And of course the word rape is only mentioned twice or thrice and everyone keeps referring it to her "incident". msscchhhewwww

I expected to see Ini Edo's character going to the psychologist because her character needed that. Naija still has some work to do understanding rape victims, for one they would not go hug their husband and the lawyer (Tonto Dike) definitely should have okay'd it with Ini's character before telling her husband she was raped. It may sound weird but Ini's character was the one raped, she was the one who suffered the trauma (or as Chike Ike said 'chioma' or 'drama') so the revelation of the assault should be determined by the victim.

And the mother-in-law, god punish that character (not the actor). 'Men cheat, it is our job to clean up after them' Your FADA!

Tonto Dike's character was knowledgeable about the law which is pretty rare for nollywood.

The camera work, the editing, the songs, the technical aspect of this film was great. The details in the script and the film (like the Oxygen mask you mentioned and the nurse/doctor relationship) could be improved.

Oh could you send me the songs you were able to rip, all of them? pretty please? turayo.tijani@gmail.com

^^^^^^^^^

Thanks for that contribution! you are absolutely correct.......


the songs you requested has been sent to the e-mail





*meanwhile, I made a mistake in the write up; what I wanted to say was 'what happened to the guy who actually killed junior?' And not 'what happened to the guy who raped Katie'

Me I no know o. I think he got away with it

@speedyboi Are u really a movie critic..? if u're NOT, then i suggest dat u become a professional critic and go national. (u can b a professional movie critic and still do ur normal day job). i'm stunned at the way u sliced this movie open and i must tell u, u're good. Its an advice sha, the niaja movie industry needs a critic like u to cure its epilepsis.
If u become professional, ur ratings will b held in high esteem nationwide. ur ratings together with other critics ratings will b used to determine if a movie should stay or be kicked out of d cinemas..since d producers have to b accountable to their audience who spend their hard earned money on movie tickets and dvds. Good critic's rating will also help producers make more money and improve in quality and others will b challenged.
The nollywood(nigerian movie industry) needs a professional body of critics to help it grow. And they have to b like eagles. Forming a strong professional body.
Hollywood take their critics seriously. Tom Charity from CNN, Mary Pols from TIMES magazine are examples of critics hollywood doesn't joke with.
Remember, those who make systems work are those who criticise it constructively.

prof800: @speedyboi Are u really a movie critic..? if u're NOT, then i suggest dat u become a professional critic and go national. (u can b a professional movie critic and still do ur normal day job). i'm stunned at the way u sliced this movie open and i must tell u, u're good. Its an advice sha, the niaja movie industry needs a critic like u to cure its epilepsis.
If u become professional, ur ratings will b held in high esteem nationwide. ur ratings together with other critics ratings will b used to determine if a movie should stay or be kicked out of d cinemas..since d producers have to b accountable to their audience who spend their hard earned money on movie tickets and dvds. Good critic's rating will also help producers make more money and improve in quality and others will b challenged.
The nollywood(nigerian movie industry) needs a professional body of critics to help it grow. And they have to b like eagles. Forming a strong professional body.
Hollywood take their critics seriously. Tom Charity from CNN, Mary Pols from TIMES magazine are examples of critics hollywood doesn't joke with.
Remember, those who make systems work are those who criticise it constructively.

*blushing* abeg...u don dey gimme too much credit oooooo.
Thanks, I really appreciate.

When I joined nl, I thought about reviewing just Nollywood movies (the quality ones to be precise). But I saw Nigerians really are not interested in anything directed towards positivity in Nigeria, so I lost interest.
Later, I wanted to start a nollywood reviewing blog focusing mainly on the technicalities (the image and sound quality, camera angles, plot, realism, scripting, directing, etc)....and how it could have been better. But I realised my schedule is too tight to manage a blog so I dropped the idea. So I'm just me still on NL . Doing copy and paste . Cos Nairaland is not really worth any unnecessary stress, trust me.

Please @speedyboi I love your movie critic it helped me understand the movie and it's true about the oxygen mask........ and also I would also like a copy of that song Plssssssssss I have searched for it every where thank you..