BY AMADI CHIMAOBI KINGSLEY
SOME Nollywood filmmakers are full of bluster but empty on delivery. Dear Affy is far from ambitious and it isn’t entertaining; yes, you will get a few laughs here and there, but it makes for tedious viewing.
The story is genuinely unpredictable (and the plot twists are delightful), but the execution is disappointing. And Olatunji’s talk of perfect performances from ‘who-is-who’ makes you wonder if Instagram comedians’ acting is now the benchmark of acting excellence. The film’s plot is unimaginative like most Nollywood rom-coms, and it is filled with stars to distract from its inadequacies. Three of the star cameos encapsulate Olatunji’s poor directing and the film’s futile desperation for laughs.
Does a Nollywood romantic comedy have to be silly to be funny? It is a question many have asked one too many times. When people complain about Nollywood’s comedy obsession, sometimes, it is not because of their abundance, but their desperation for laughs; this was evident in last year’s Knockout, which felt like a series of Instagram skits. Ditto The Wedding Party 2, Merry Men 1, The Accidental Spy, among others. Dear Affy is the latest inductee into this Comedy Hall of flops if you will excuse the use of that phrase.
The story starts charmingly: Affy (Kehinde Bankole) meets Mike (Enyinna Nwigwe); the boy asks a girl on a date, Affy says no. Mike insists and gets a date. One date becomes two, and Affy gets to see the man behind the player. A year later, Mike proposes, Affy says yes! Nwigwe looks disinterested and Bankole’s acting needs direction to pass as believable (watch The Set Up).
Mike’s company started having financial crises after his proposal which affected the marriage plans.
Both the company and Mike’s wedding are saved, then a nifty plot twist occurs and turns the film on its head. And while the film starts moving in this direction, another twist follows. Both twists are the most positive things about Dear Affy, but their effects are diluted by the story’s incoherence and the director’s incompetence.
The plot twists felt a bit too much at some point, perhaps the director just wanted to create more drama but some of it felt out of depth and bland.
It seems the new trick in Nollywood is to throw on big names, no matter how wishy-washy the plot and directing are, Nigerians will watch because their favorite actors made a cameo.
The manageable act comes from Toyin Abraham, who plays a relationship expert (think Joro), her role wasn’t justified but was just there. The plot twists felt a bit too much at some point. I know the director just wanted to create more drama but some of it felt out of depth and the plot twists felt a bit too much at some point.
The second features fast-talking Instagram comedian, Mc Lively, playing a doctor version of his online persona – the scene he appears in serves the story no purpose but Market Must sell. The third and most ridiculous features Teni, and her scene makes one wonder if this film has a director or if Teni has never seen people act before.
The problem isn’t casting non-actors; it’s not directing them. Lady Gaga gave a tour de force performance in A Star is Born. Reminisce was awesome in King of Boys. The problem is our filmmaker’s comfortability with mediocrity and continued disregard for the audience. At this stage, the audience will gladly accept a basic Nollywood rom com; it doesn’t have to excellently reflect society’s misogyny like Isoken or be fun like the original The Wedding Party. Just respect us and tell a story that’s not desperate for laughter! We know when you are trying too hard.
The film’s premise is exciting, and under capable hands, it maybe would have been remarkable. But Samuel Olatunji, who produced the Awful Ghost, and the Tout is not exactly the filmmaker you expect some high degree of brilliance from.
Leave a Reply