Volunteers

The story behind the movie, Volunteers, is intriguing. Reading the synopsis alone seduces you. I tend to shy away from movies with storylines this because yes the story sounds amazing but what will the director do with it?

The movie, Volunteers, was a drag for the first half and then it picks up momentum towards the end. However, finding the motivation to sit through the first half really is the only question.

The performances in this movie were… unique. There were a bunch of firsts for me in this movie, this is my first time seeing Ivie in an actual movie. I felt she held her own. You can definitely tell she has so much potential as an actor and she seems like an actor that will only grow from film to film. She does kind of remind me of a younger Genevieve, not with her looks alone but also her zeal and energy.

Ime Bishop Umoh is simply fascinating, for the first time though he’s not the standout because I have to give that to Ivie, however for the first time I saw him speaking English. For a minute there, I thought someone else was in the room and speaking instead of him. And shockingly, he’s as good an actor in regular roles – emotional moments – as he is in comedic roles.

The movie could have definitely been developed better, it does come across as a bit too low budget to actually achieve what it aims for. A couple problems with the production, the editing, the subtitles; many problems with out of place soundtracks (I mean, we are searching for a missing man and you are playing a love song?) and incapable extras.

I did think the end was a bit of a cop out at first but in the end (the actual end, I mean) I can’t say I saw that coming. But the real question in this movie is, is the surprise at the end really worth sitting through nearly two hours of film for? And for me, I think I could have lived without