Video film Availability

One major challenge the budding video film production enterprise in Cameroon is facing is the availability of the movies produced. You hear about movies but will go round and round in circles to get them. Now while there are some brave people taking up the video film distribution challenge like the visionary Bara Irene  who has a video film shop specifically for video films at Lycee Biyemassi in  Yaounde and some freelance make shift distributors like Elvis Smart the purchase of an AngloCam film is still an uphill task especially here in Yaounde. 

I stood in Miss Bara's video shop for close to an hour waiting for her assistant to negotiate with a film producer to make available copies of his film which not only I but some other clients wanted to purchase. After the wait with no success I was asked to return the next day and of course when I did the film was still not available even though the producer had assured her it would.

Talking to some producers on this occurrence raised trust issues vis-a-vis these makeshift distributors who sometimes dub and sell their films without their accord. Some complained of limited DVD multiplication etc etc Honestly I think the mistake here stems from the production budgeting whereby most producers do not really plan adequate marketing and distribution strategies for their films and by extension build a substantial local market for their products. Viewers are getting disenchanted and loosing interest because of the scarcity of these films as opposed to the readily available Nigerian films. If the local market cannot be established there can be no real talk of an Industry, and the only way to build that local market is to get the films to the people.

That said please if anyone knows where I can purchase Anglophone Cameroon films please holla back! 

Oh no Robin Williams!

Its a weird world! The same day Robin Williams is announced dead my sisters and I were appraising  his career as one of the most versatile actors Hollywood has ever produced and how we can't wait for the next movie release with him. Cant believe about that time he ... died. Hollywood needs Jesus, big time! That demon of suicide is eating in their veins so deep. There he was thinking no one loved or cared here we were all the way in Africa wishing him the best and panting for his next artistic masterpiece. Lord what kinda prayer do we offer here for this soul? He is gone. Nothing more to say or do, but just to forever acknowledge the talent he possessed and the smiles and laughter he gave us. What a loss! Mrs. Doubtfire is an all time classic but I found him hilarious in Nine Months, what is your Robin Williams all time favourite movie?

Robin in Nine Months with Hugh Grant.

Kick

I just watched the 200crore and counting Kick starring as you can see in the poster the one and only Salman Khan. I must commend producer cum director Sajid Nadiawala's first attempt as director, it is not bad all. The action sequences are upto par and the story not bad. However, the screenplay and narration were a bit lacking for me in some instances especially when the second half of the film begins. I really wish Salman Bhai would just add a little effort in his emotional act it would go a long way to beef up the believability of the story. His facial expressions were kinda disconnected in some really emotional areas and I felt a pang 'cos it broke down the scene to a placid level. As for Jaqueline Fernandez I wonder what she was cast for, her character was not efficiently developed nor was the role meaty, she was completely tossed aside post the second quarter of the film. Randeep Hooda was impressive but his drunk act was very uncomfortable and evident to the viewer. He needs to work on that bit. Mithun Chakrabohty is just his usual self nothing more to say and Nawassudin was grossly under used for such a 'scary' but talented actor. All in all, Kick is good for those who love action to the core and the message that is wrapped up in the film's story is from a good place. Verdict? You might want to check it out.

On the Brim

Hmmmmm...I am confounded. The subject matter is one I think greatly deserves to be broached. Sickle cell is a genetic issue that has engendered a lot of pain and sadness in many families in Cameroon. So the film is on point in this respect, but this is where it ends. The film starts of great with a promising premise of a sickle cell patient aided by this rich dude with a sumptuous background who takes interest in him. Then the sickle cell boy and the rich dude's girl do something and boys sister is being a 'nag' about almost everything and oh my! I get lost in the melange. The narration is porous. The quality is not good for a 2013 release especially as AngloCam filmmakers are upping the stakes. The acting ah! The acting...I do not even know where to start. I heard about this film and had such high expectations and so purchased it immediately I saw an available copy but was disappointed at all levels whether technical or artistic. But hey dont just take it from me go get it, watch and tell me what you think. Maybe there is some deep underlying artsy meaning I am not getting.

Triangle of Tears 1&2

The adage that "you never know what you got till it's gone" sums up the essence of this movie Traingle of Tears. Enah Johnscott leading the pack(as director) narrates on screen the story which revolves around three principal characters; Murphy, Ornela, Harry. Ok so Harry loves Ornela and is about to marry her, tragedy strikes two days to the wedding and despite pleas from his best buddy Murphy, Harry chucks Ornela for another (whose story is the shaky subplot of the film). Murphy picks up Ornela dusts her up and Bam!! Harry wants her back. That in brief is the triangle right there and yes there were tears oh yes. Ok its unlike me but I got to start here with the SLAYER of this movie cause sadly there are aplenty. First off the sound mixing is so wrong I am hoping it is just the copy I bought, it made the film a tad bit strenuous to watch with dialogues coming before the images and an overwhelming sound score. I hate that ( Cos I have been thro it myself) The image quality was not bad but not enthralling either but the biggest sham of it all was the cinematography. Vain picture and frame composition, jerky shaky camera movements (which were clearly not highlights to the narration) careless camera angles with no real meaning and slipshod transition shots in between scenes ...ouf! As I struggle to catch my breath, then comes the acting. So so uninspiring I had to ask myself if the director really did direct the actors on the emotions and interpretations he desired for the characters, or was this what he wanted? The actor who plays Ornela gave the viewers NADA! nothing to work with. At some point I pitied the co-actors; but even they too don't go scot-free, Wyte's dialogue delivery is filled with breaks in between each line I became irritable, it's like a mechanical recital and same applies in his reactions, for some reason he seemed frozen and Epule I felt needed some depth. The saving grace here happens to be the story which (even though I still have problems with the screenplay) was very relatable and twigged with some twist at the end, acting wise Eta Mercy who plays Samira is the one to look out for. All in All with a little more attention to detail this film would have much more than it is. But please don't take it only from me, go get a copy and maybe you might just see things differently.

Jungle of Heirs 1&2

 The Bayang Kingdom reeks of conspiracy as rumor abounds that its reigning ruler is actually not a 'son of the soil'. Angered and instigated by these rumors king Albert abdicates and abandons his throne much to the horror of his elders and subjects. A decision which unmasks the conspirators, unravels well guarded royal secrets and unleashes several repercussions. In a nutshell this sums up the story on behind the title Jungle of Heirs which is grounded on traditional politics  and not quite surprising as it stems from the stables of Anglophone video film producer and screenplay writer Agbor Stephen noteworthy for his investment in tradition-oriented productions.

Director Neba Lawrence opts for a simplistic narration as evident in the cinematography which comprised long shots aimed to give a grandoise royal feeling to the movie as per the chosen locations, some close up shots too which I suppose aimed to capture and emphasis the complex emotions espoused by the characters (which unfortunately didn't pan out most of the time). The picture quality is good and some frame compositions hinted some form of reflection and directorial decisions but that's about it. The acting even though overly dramatic in some cases ( it was clear some of these actors were more theatre than film actors) was fairly convincing in some areas. The budget spinner in the person of Nollywood sensation Jim Iyke was clearly in this movie as a publicity strategy but nevertheless did the little his role comprised of fairly well. The guy had barely 5 scenes! Personally I kinda like the fact that the role attributed to him just sort of supports the general plot of the film, for it gave the opportunity for the Cameroonian actors to man the boat. I found Solange Ojong quite captivating in this avatar as the king's daughter and I must say here that I really feel her full potential is rarely tapped in favor of her beauty. Quinta Eyong is utterly believable in her rendition of Queen Janet.

I must confess I always look forward to an Agbor Stephen production and even though in this case I found some scenes unnecessary and plot point connections a little shaky I still think he managed to serve a good traditional tale this time as well. However splitting the movie in two parts was unnecessary especially as it could fit snugly in one. Please purchase, watch and tell me what you think about this movie too.