Gone Too Far

Generally, the experience with Nollywood USA or Nollywood UK is just not a good one but this one really surpassed all expectations. The story, the acting, the directing and the production values came together to create a very good movie that you can watch over and over.

The story is simple and told simply, about a boy, his brother and their quest to fit in. What is really brilliant about the story is how relatable it is to the immigrant experience, how real the characters are and the risks that it took. The story takes place within a day, which runs the risk of becoming claustrophobic and boring but the filmmakers avoid it here by using very different and varied settings coupled with a generally fast pace. Sometimes it does feel a bit ‘samey’ and rushed. The characters are generally good, they have chemistry and are relatable. The main character, Yemi, gets a bit annoying and repetitive but that is deliberate. The villains get a bit too mean, there is no nuance and have no reason for their actions. From a film such as this, you expect some background or motivations to characters and sometimes it gets too cartoonish. The slang is hard to understand, and the film makers did not take into account non-UK viewers. But it’s a very funny and sweet plot, made better by how well made it is. It has a lot of social commentary : Skin colour, Africans vs Caribbeans,  Nationalism and many more.

The acting  will blow you away, clearly a very strong cast here, made even stronger because of how bad the acting overseas Nollywood movies are . Some such as Eddie Kadi, Adelayo Adedayo and Pooja Shah are all relatively known and experienced artists in Britain. And we must not forget OC Ukeje who absolutely shines as the Freshie with strong principles, especially in keeping his accent. Malachi Kirby as Yemi was sometimes off but he held his own, he just stands out because of how strong the rest of the cast is. It really was just a surprisingly perfect cast that came together beautifully. Tosin Cole as Razer, the main villain had great comedic timing and excellent emotional range.

What really brings it all together though, is the directing and the cinematography. It is directed flawlessly; especially considering it was adapted from a play. Every scene is shot with such talent and care. The quality is top notch and the soundtrack is good, if a bit different. Who knew grime would make a good soundtrack, but it gives it a very authentic feel.

In conclusion, I would wholeheartedly recommend this. If you have experience of living in a different country, especially in London, this would just hit home with how true it is. Even if you are not, it is still a very enjoyable flick with lots of comedy and brilliance production values.