The Return of Jenifa (TROJ)

-Originality: [2 out of 5] Hmm… I’m stumped. Have I seen a movie with the same “gbo gbo bigz girls” storyline? Yes… that would be every Oge Okoye movie. Have I seen a movie about HIV stigmatization? Yes! Is it rampant? No! Have the two ever been brought together like this before? No. I believe the last factor was the most important factor.

-Predictability: [3 out of 5] In the end, this movie was not 100% predictable *SPOILER* in that I expected Jenifa to be HIV positive. Why? I mean considering the general message of the movie, one would think that they would go the route of making Jenny positive and make her live through it to prove that people with HIV can live through it. But… it went a different route and it wasn’t half bad.

-Directing/Editing: [3 out of 5] Funke o… You too much. That is all. I definitely noticed all the extra advertising for Lagos/Fashola, Glo mobile, Close Up Toothpaste and whatever that bathing soap was called. My problem really is with the movie’s subtitles. About 15% of the subtitles were missing and this is really not very encouraging especially to those who can’t speak Yoruba, those whose first Yoruba movie was this one and those who have been spoilt by Bollywood movies where they subtitle everything to the lyrics of the songs.

-Acting quality: [3 out of 5] Yes! Yes! Yes! Good acting (on a side note though, it’s a good thing that Freeze and DJ Zeez aren’t professional actors cause that would have been a failed career path). Kaffy on the other hand was not that bad. In fact… she wasn’t bad at all. I would be willing to watch another of her movies. I think this movie was the least dressed up I’ve ever seen Denrele, lol but the guy can dance though. And speaking of dancing, Funke baby! I no fit shout… too much skillz.

-Setting and Costume/Make-Up: [4 out of 5] Definitely well done! Work was actually put into this movie from the offices (even the ones that were only used once like the teacher’s office) to the concert to the Hostel to the… everything… well done! And as for costumes… all I have to say is “I like your combinashion”

-Video Quality [4 out of 5] The video quality was definitely amazing. Above and beyond any expectations I had for a Yoruba movie. Funke Akindele did not play…. top notch.

-Soundtrack and Musical Score [3 out of 5] All I have to say is… “Jenny baby o, Jenny baby o…. JENIFA! Suliat kan o, Ayetoro kan….. JENIFA!!” On a more serious note though the musical score could use a little help in consistency fro scene to scene and filling up all the blank spaces of people driving into a house or zooming into a building and what not.