Bug Eyes: A review on Dare Olaitan’s screen debut.
by Aisha Feranmi
Plot
The broke manager of a rundown fuel station, which is a hard drug base, plans to rob his place of employment on his birthday but he finds he is not alone in this plan, which proves extremely difficult. Not so far away, two hoodlums who are in cahoots with a colleague of his, scheme to rob the station and take the drugs but when they find out about the money tucked away somewhere in the accountant’s office, their operation takes a rapid and violent turn. Ojukokoro as the name already lets on, tells the story of the acquisitive society we live in.
Acting
There is a brilliant ensemble cast such as Wale Ojo, Afeez Oyetoro, Seun Ajayi, Emmanuel Ikubese, Tope Tedela, Charles Etubiebi, Shawn Faqua, Somkele Iyamah, Emmanuel Ikubese, and Ali Nuhu. Some of these names are new to the Nollywood scene while others like Afeez Oyetoro and Wale Ojo are veterans who have proved their prowess repeatedly. Emmanuel Ikubese, who plays the role of the station’s accountant, is given a chance to break away from his stiff and stereotypical acting to a fluid and natural one, which, if I say so myself, was delivered brilliantly.
The performances in this movie are raw, funny, and authentic. We saw little but not so little parts of the character’s traits without being told directly. Jubril had dissociation. His ability to stay completely calm when he found out his wife had been abducted, and his inability to grasp the reality of his peril by threatening his wife’s abductor, was unconventional. In the same breath, Rambo had Tourette syndrome and the accountant, schizophrenia.
Writing and Directing
This is the reason I and probably other people who have seen this film can’t stop thinking about it. Dare Olaitan wrote and directed this movie and is his debut movie. There aren’t many expectations for debut projects, but I’d like to believe everyone who has watched Ojukokoro has now placed Dare Olaitan on the pedestal he deserves. The movie evidently had detailed research. Nigerians love a merry laugh, but we deserve good storytelling too, and this is where the writer finds balance. Many scenes made me laugh out loud, and some made me think deep. This is exactly what we need to break from the stereotypical storytelling in this part of the world. I genuinely hope Nigerians are ready and accepting of this new-not-so-new style of storytelling.
My 2 Kobos
I have to admit that I was careful enough to filter people’s comments on the movie, I genuinely do not know what the average Nigerian who has seen Ojukokoro thinks. Some film critics think it’s the best Nigerian reel to come out of 2016 while IMDB gives it an average rating. I’m a bit of both. If you didn’t already realize, I loved every part of the movie, the plot, the characters, the directing, everything. I believe it’s progressive and a breath of fresh air. Where I fall in the middle is with the set design. I wasn’t a big fan of the color palette in a couple of scenes but that doesn’t affect the movie. Ojukokoro: Greed can be found on Netflix.
