Ige: The Unlikely Oil Merchant

Ige: The Unlikely Oil Merchant is a biopic-adapted film based on the biography of the Chairman of Bash Distinct Oil, Aare Bashir Fakorede. Following Bashir’s humble beginnings, the film unfolds his journey, highlighting the obstacles he encountered on his way to achieving success.

Lateef Adedimeji, who portrayed the character Bashir, performed admirably, embodying the role of a determined young man whose unwavering dedication and hard work propel him to success. While the film offers inspiration at the resolution, it falters greatly with a slow start and unnecessary exposition.

The movie directed by Biodun Stephen unfolds at a slow pace, and the lengthy runtime may test your patience. If you lack patience, you might be easily tempted to switch to another movie. However, the movie redeems itself as Bashir’s character unfolds, and the story gains momentum when he is accused of embezzlement by his boss, Mrs. Ayinke (Jaiye Kuti), after she discovers he’s having a secret affair with her only daughter, Tolani (Bimbo Ademoye).

By convention, biopic films often have a slow-paced beginning. The exposition, despite its potentially slow nature, serves to justify the eventual resolution of the story. This aligns with the typical structure of biographical films, where the initial exposition provides context and background information before the narrative gains momentum towards the resolution. However, unlike Ige, the movie is stretched beyond necessity.

The film takes us through Bashir’s early life, shedding light on his mom, Atoke’s (Toyin Abraham) challenges in single-handedly raising him. His father’s (Taiwo Hassan) neglect leaves Bashir grappling with the stigma of fatherlessness, impacting his childhood with frequent clashes and fights, particularly with those who mock him for lacking paternal presence.

In terms of performance, Lateef Adedimeji reaffirms that the character of Bashir is tailor-made for him. While his portrayal doesn’t surpass expectations, considering his familiarity with similar roles, he adeptly embodies the character despite its underdevelopment. Kola Ajeyemi delivers a memorable performance, infusing his character with uniqueness through the use of ad-libs. His improvisation breathes life into the role, offering comic relief, particularly in the slow-paced beginning. While Bimbo Ademoye doesn’t bring anything distinctive to her role, Toyin Abraham delivers a solid performance, becoming one of the characters who evoke emotional impact in the narrative.

One of the major reasons why Ige often lacks significant thrills or fails to evoke a strong emotional response is because the producer and screenwriter prioritize accuracy and authenticity in depicting real-life events and individuals. Their decision to stay true to historical facts most times results in a narrative that seems less thrilling or dramatized compared to fictional stories.

Ige fails to strike a balance between entertainment and historical authenticity, which is key in creating a compelling biopic. I must admit that balancing accuracy with creative storytelling is quite difficult, but it is the responsibility of the producer and the screenwriter to navigate the fine line between staying true to historical facts and crafting an engaging narrative.

Condensing a person’s life into a feature-length film requires careful selection of key events and character development, something the late Biyi Bandele did so well in his film adaptation of Chimamanda Adichie’s novel, “Half of a Yellow Sun” a work of historical fiction. Many events from the novel did not make it into the scripted narrative for the screen, yet the core essence of the story was well communicated.

And despite the fact that Biodun Stephen is a masterful storyteller known for creating immersive cinematic experiences and consistently delivering films with a compelling narrative and a proven track record of providing solid entertainment value, there is little she could do to change the perception that Ige lacks substantial thrills until the midpoint of the narrative.

However, her creative decisions, direction, and visual interpretation of the story compensate for the slow-paced beginning, which proved to be a bit tedious. She makes the culmination of Bashir’s journey and narrative arc becomes memorable. Also, the consistent use of monochromatic tones in the film maintains a cohesive feel, set predominantly in the 90s, except for an outlier – the beach scene where Bashir’s friends tease him about being a womanizer.

The scene seems out of place, disrupting Bashir’s character development. The abrupt shift from asking oil business questions at the mechanic shop to beach revelry creates visual inconsistency, leaving us questioning its relevance, especially as Bashir is still an apprentice. Moreover, Bashir’s attraction to women, revealed in this scene, doesn’t significantly impact his future relationships. Despite his interest in Tayo, he only pursues her after resigning and ending things with Tolani, his first girlfriend.

In conclusion, biographical films (biopics) are inherently subjective, meaning their appeal depends on individual interests. Despite the remarkable cast in Ige, the film still lacks notable excitement or thrilling elements. However, despite narrative shortcomings, Bashir’s tale remains an inspiring testament to resilience, proving that, despite some flaws, “boring moments don’t necessarily equate to a bad overall experience.”