Naija jolof vs Ghana jolof 3
I've watched this movie twice, and I still can't get enough of it.
It stars the stunning Joselyn Dumas as Lulu and the loveable UC Ukeje (Yes, he's Nigerian, sigh) as Tony, Lulu's (should I say ex) husband.
I think it's an established fact that marriage is a funny business.
But, even funnier is the business of staying in the same house with your ex-spouse after the divorce is finalized, for the reason that you're unable to let go of the house you toiled and bought together as a labor of love.
To clue you in a bit more, let me say this:
The true test of the" unsalvageability" of the relationship between a divorced couple is the willingness of both parties to let go of their matrimonial home.
As soon as both parties decide that neither of them wants to keep the house, we know that either the relationship is too abhorrent, or the memories within the home are so emotionally scarring that neither of them wants to relieve any of it.
Even at the expense of a luxurious, tastefully furnished mansion.
Tony and Lulu didn't get that memo.
Or, at least, not until the end of the movie.
Shirley Frimpong Manso tastefully tackles the issue of divorce and manages to almost imperceptibly, draw attention away to the intricacies of human personalities and relationships, and away from this delicate issue that is the cause of so much castigation and controversy in traditional African society.
Do opposites really attract?
Maybe.
But, despite being so dissimilar, Lulu( (the definition of perfectionism) and Tony (there's no one more laidback and easygoing than he) haven't got their relationship down pat.
Have any of us?
It is highly probable —at least in my opinion— that opposites do indeed attract, but relationships are not formed or sustained by attraction alone, and that is why problems emerge in relationships.
As someone with an unsullied record with regard to relationships, I am not equipped to dole out nuggets of wisdom with regard to initiating and maintaining relationships, but I am hopeful that my readers can help with that.
Now, I can't really encapsulate the life and energy of the movie within a few lines of summary.
However, I can say this.
If you ever had the chance to get back with an ex whom you're still in love with, would you take it?
Today, I'm more interested in the cast.
This is a movie about personalities, and I shall use brushstrokes of personality to liven up my blank easel.
Joke Silva is Lulu's mum.
Calm, sagacious and overflowing with dignified grace, she ignores the rules about whose side of the house whichever part in question she finds herself in is—as any sane mother would do!
She makes one of the most poignant statements in the movie.
'Tony, if there was anyone who would have made a good wife out of my daughter, it would have been you"
I don't think parents usually show such profound awareness of their children. And, even if they do, such an acknowledgment of one's child's flaws to another, especially to a perceived opponent, is incredibly rare.
The elusive father of Lulu, who never appears in the movie is just that: elusive.
Lulu's best friend: She would have been the town gossip in an Ananse story
Tony's best friend: Imagine cheating on your wife because the two of you don't fight, and gloatingly recounting the entire betrayal as a means of eliciting a reaction.
A reaction that made her miserable and left you feeling self-satisfied?
I think there's a name for that: sadism.
Now, to my favorite actors.
Nicki Samonas.
You must be filthy rich to hire the stunning Niki Samonas as your maid.
Aptly described in the movie as 'a Ms. World', the only thing I can say is: she must be high- priced indeed.
She's the perfect hire to make your girl jealous.
Chris Attoh is all brawn and muscle here.
With arms like yams and a deep velvety baritone, you can't fault Lulu for hiring a worthy 'Mr. World' or Tony for feeling scrawny and insignificant in comparison.
Niki and Chris will leave you rolling in laughter.
From a botched robbery attempt to a humiliating attempt at seduction on Chris's part to that awful moment, I giggled to the point of burping.
Far from being restricted to hiccups owing to only the above situations, you'll get your huge laugh from that familiar, awful moment when you catch the help in a compromising position with each other and you feel like ripping the universe apart.
Chris Attoh's humiliation and his ridiculous attempts to salvage his dignity make him undeniably the best actor in the movie, hands down.
Of course, I can't avoid acknowledging that this is a Ghanaian-Nigerian mix— the best kind of Jolof out there.
But, Shirley is Ghanaian, and so I choose to claim credit for it as a true Ghanaian would.
Another fantastic masterpiece by Shirley Frimpong Manso, Potato Potahto is a must-watch.
It's available on Netflix.
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