I was super-excited about this one. I’d read the
reviews and seen the previews, it seemed like a new, interesting story. But was
it?
“A foreign take on an ‘African’ tale”
The Rundown
Behind the
name: Watch to find
out
Country: Nigeria, 2011
Genre: Drama
Director: Obi Emelonye
Cast: Genevieve Nnaji (as Tina), Edward Kagutiuzi (as Tijan), Osita Iheme (as Mirror Boy), Fatima
Jabbe (as the Queeen), Felix Ceesay (as the Seargeant), Victor Carvalho (the
Chief), John Charles
Njie (as Samba)
Compare to: The Figurine
Hate it or Love
it?
Enjoy it
Synopsis
in a Sentence: UK-born Gambian boy ventures into Gambia for the
first time, where he gets missing and begins a voyage “back to his roots…”.
On Writing: The Plot
The
story itself is not originally African. It is a foreign take on an African
tale. It reflects how the foreigners see Africa, or perhaps, how the foreign
African sees Africa. The tale’s intention was good—to re-connect foreign
Africans with their mother land. But while that was done, the story also played
into the trite tale of ‘primitive, mythical, diabolical’ Africa. Not in a
condescending method, but relayed with childlike newness to the elements of
African stories. The plot’s technique might be easily misinterpreted by the
African and by the foreigner. It is not a bad story, but perhaps it could have
performed better to reflect the originality and the authenticity and the beauty of
a unique African tale, even from a foreign perspective.
(3.5/5)
On Acting: The Cast
Miss Genevieve Nnaji, as expected, is the star
of the movie. She plays Tina, mother of Tijan, the hero of the story. She is
easily one of Africa’s most talented actresses. And deserves more praise for
her proud carriage of African talent. This lady never seems to waver her
comportment in the fact that she is a Nigerian, whatever that might mean today.
That, in itself, is to be praised. We see far too many African celebrities
feigning familiarity with foreignness, and Nigeria is proud to have a talented
actress that does her job well, and waves her flag high; whether she does it deliberately
or not.
 |
| Genevieve Nnaji |
 |
| Edward Kagutiuzi |
Osita Iheme plays the Mirror Boy. He’s a good actor, but for the fact that his lines also precede him in some cases. He even plays out a bit more rehearsed than Kagutiuzi, which is quite surprising. Perhaps this comes because many of his lines are proverbial anecdotes, and he may be more suited to comedy. Overall, not a bad job though.
(3/5)
On Production:
The Creativity
Production is very, very
good. Great angles, good shots, nice symbolism. It’s great. But for one little
note—the music, sometimes, is so deliberate, as though it screams to want to
inspire its viewers. It’s not a totally bad thing, but a little bit to note.
Overall, fabulous work on the production side.
(4/5)
On Resolution: The Conclusion
It
ends quite well. Perhaps the ending is the best part of it all. It’s overall a
good story worth seeing. Just don’t think you’ve experienced a real African
tale from it. Regardless, it's great to see the collaboration between Nollywood and other African film industries. Shoutout to the Gambia!
(4/5)
The
Verdict: A foreign-West African story not commonly told, with great production
Overall
Score = 14/20
Watch
The Mirror
Boy [http://irokotv.com/video/5553/the-mirror-boy]
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