REVIEWING GENEVIEVE NNAJI'S LION'S HEART

 

 

 

On a general note there was nothing extra ordinary about this film. the reason I think the film carried so much hype was the fact the fans wanted to see how our amazing and delectable actress, who has graced our screens for two decades, would pull off her first shot at directing,  then Netflix buying it for a huge speculated amount made it even louder.

 

Having said this there are a couple of things I would want to highlight from this  production...

 

                                                OPENING SCENE

 

 The opening scene was rowdy, I understand the fact that they were trying to portray a supposed protest scene but  they lost control of the crowd. I totally understand that shooting that scene must have been very stressful. lt was evident on Genevieve's face. They were heavily delayed, that's what the physical presence of these movie stars and camera can cause plus who knows if they were not stressed with the matching ground problem our Nigerian movie directors are always faced with...

 

                                                           CASTING 

 

  Peter Okoye: There was nothing to connect peter okoye to that movie, I didn't see the need for his presence it was unnecessary basically  his role wasn't exactly spelt out.

 

Onyeka Onwenue:  She was down played, her role was too small for her  considering how legendary she is unless they are trying to tell us that she passed down her musical genes to her son obiora (phyno) but I didn't see it so she was depicted like a traditional African and Igbo woman with a rich husband who just has to sit around the home for full time house wife duties because she looked like she didn't even know what her husbands company entailed. I think she was too legendary and smart to be hidden like that because she was almost invisible...

 

Ngozi  Ezeonu: she was extremely down played, she was more like a waka pass actress, the role would have been better with a younger person or a not so prominent face..

 

Phyno: I liked the fact that his song wasn't just used in the movie but he had to be casted on the movie and he was made to work hard. I liked how well the title of the movie sank in and settled.

  Now LION's HEART which happens to be the name of the movie was also the name of the embattled transport company owned by chief  Obiagu ( Pete edochie) obiagu in Igbo language means lions heart which goes in line with the song his song OBIAGU which obiora dedicated to his father   as a heart felt retirement tribute.

   Phyno's costume didn't do justice though, the costumier should have done better...

 

 

                                                        STORYLINE

It was a very basic one nothing was exceptional, they played safe by not making the storyline a deep one  but I cant take away the fact that they were trying to hold us with suspense here and there. I liked how culturally rooted the movie was though, even if there are speculations that the movie was an Igbo gang thing..

 

                                                    PRODUCTION

Production wise it was brilliant, production was great and very visible, good money was spent on that set. cinematography too was awesome. the camera didn't preference to a particular skin tone, every skin tone slayed and I totally loved that..

 On an end note the movie wasn't bad kudos to Genevieve Nnaji....