A Young Time Ago

With a title that calls forth memories of a Tales by Moonlight story-time, A Young Time Ago maintains the feelings of warmth brought upon by a warm cuddly story told amongst friends with a backdrop of a rainy day, a warm fire, and hot cup of cocoa.

It’s the story of Tayo (Daniel Etim-Effiong) who in current time is working as a restaurant manager for a man he met at a low time of his life, Uncle Gabriel (Wale Ojo). Uncle G, as he is fondly called, attempts to hook him up with his ‘niece’ (Sandra Okunzuwa) but in the course of their ‘date’ he ends up telling her his sad life story about his one true love Kemi (Sophie Alakija).

Apparently, back in his university days young Tayo (Mofeyintola Jebutu) was head over heels in love with Kemi (Tolu Osaile) who barely spared a thought for him. Kemi was preoccupied with thoughts of becoming a musician and was trying to get in with Magic (Timini Egbuson), the young star on campus who already had a song out with the popular musician D’banj. In her attempt to get familiar, she ends up as a pawn in the devil’s game – quite literally. A game that leads to bloodshed and other dire consequences.

The storytelling in “A Young Time Ago” immerses you completely. It transports you from the present to a bygone era of Nollywood storytelling, where tales created their own captivating universe. It’s a world that keeps the audience enchanted, reluctant to part ways. The perfectly matched music, the actors’ seamless performances, the costumes, settings and little elements of the times, and various other elements orchestrated by the production team harmoniously combine to ensnare the viewer within this enchanting world.

While the movie does have some issues with production quality and performances, it manages to maintain an overall sense of warmth, even during moments where certain flaws are quite evident. One particular comma that raises questions is the inclusion of the devil versus angel storyline. The introduction of the drug dealer, who also serves as the devil, versus the man wearing a cap who presumably represents angel Gabriel, feels somewhat outdated for a film released in 2022. Some lines in the movie also seem inauthentic and very telling of an amateur scriptwriter. And there are also glaring continuity issues like after Kemi’s attack and two weeks later her face is devoid of injury or scar – for a light skinned girl, that is truly difficult to believe.

The makers of this movie smartly draw in the audience to a film that’s stars young actors in 70-85% of the screen time with well placed cameos of big names. Unlike the usual attempts, this is seamlessly done and the younger leads Mofeyintola Jebutu (as Tayo) and Tolu Osaile (as Kemi) do not give you any cause to miss the big stars. They navigate their scenes with ease and Tolu even has peculiarities that seem to favor that of Sophie Alakija. One cannot but mention Brutus Mfon Richard who delivers a truly convincing performance as Shadow. One thing I cannot get over, however, is why the writers decided to make this otherwise pidgin-English speaking gang leader suddenly start speaking perfect queen’s English for his one emotional dialogue.

Ultimately, “A Young Time Ago” does have its share of issues. However, when it comes to the fundamental goal of movies, which is to evoke lasting emotions, this film succeeds admirably. By the conclusion, you’ll find yourself genuinely fond of all the characters on screen and genuinely pleased for those who rightfully deserve happiness.