For the Newbies, the KFB movie review is an every Friday column that gives you a cinema guide on which movies to watch and not watch! You can check out our other reviews (HERE).
Today's movie for review is Iroko productions' Ovy's Voice' which features Bisola Aiyeola, Mofe Duncan, Uche Obodo, Shaffy Bello.
I have to admit that truly the best things in life don't sometimes come in the best package and this movie proved that.
I wasn't going to watch it cos i felt it wasn't up to standard, it wasn't well advertised and it didn't feature the A-list cast of Nollywood...thank God for my sis, she insisted on having us see it on Iroko TV and oh boy, it turned out to be an awesome movie!
Synopsis
A mute make up artist whose sole means of communication is through the written word becomes close to the son of one of her best clients, however there is an obstacle stopping her from fully allowing him into her world.
I wasn't going to watch it cos i felt it wasn't up to standard, it wasn't well advertised and it didn't feature the A-list cast of Nollywood...thank God for my sis, she insisted on having us see it on Iroko TV and oh boy, it turned out to be an awesome movie!
Synopsis
A mute make up artist whose sole means of communication is through the written word becomes close to the son of one of her best clients, however there is an obstacle stopping her from fully allowing him into her world.
Director: Dimeji Ajibola
Producer: Biodun Stephen
You see, Ovy's Voice is a simple yet very sweet watch that captivates you in a 'bed of roses' kind of way and then proceeds to wreak havoc on your emotions when you least expect it.
The writer manages to make a romance that is sweet and endearing, takes you along the journey, and is still not dragged out or too rushed. There are points where you kind of know where the storyline is and the writer and director give you space to embrace it, and even though you knew it was going to happen it still feels new.
Second standout feature is performance – most remarkably Bisola Aiyeola as Ovy.
For the most part of the movie she is just writing on boards and shrugging her shoulders. However, in the one scene at the hour mark where things change between her and Anaan, she manages to depict a world of emotions without ever saying a word.
Then there’s Shaffy Bello as Mama G who manages to embody the mother-in-law you wish you had, and Uche Obodo who apparently has learned how to tone it down much to all of our gratitude. Then there’s Mofe Duncan for the girls dem. Handome guy!
Then there’s the story itself. Just when you think you have it pegged for a certain type of film and you know where it’s going it flips the switch and becomes more. It’s originality is not from being so “brand new” of a storyline but from flipping the storyline at a time when the audience least expected it and pulling it off brilliantly.
And then there’s the music, anyone else catch that male rendition of Di’Ja’s “Awww” in the middle there? From the jump the movie hits you with the music and it’s above par.
Ovy’s Voice has a great weapon, and it is not because it keeps us eager by having a mute central figure, it is because there is a lot to this central figure. The story does not end up as a love story, it is an abuse story.
Because of Ovy’s behavior from the first scene, we assume that she has been mute from birth but we soon realize, that her condition was the aftermath of the constant sexual abuse she received from her from her father. From the age of 12, her father starts abusing her sexually and her mother feels shadowed by societal analysis and so she keeps quiet about it. She does not protect her daughter; neither does she confront the man.
The acting is great! Shaffy Bello is not the usual swift talking high-class woman in “Ovy’s Voice”. She takes on a completely different role, as a full Yoruba persona with an interesting accent to back it up.
Her time on screen is limited but she does a memorable job. Bisola Aiyeola also does a job worth commending, as the mute Ovy she is swift and her action throughout the film is the reason we stay hooked.
Ovy’s voice is not a fast-paced film, it slowly makes its point and even though it takes too long to do this, there is a lesson to learn from the production, at least if not for anything, for the exposure of one of the many effects of child abuse.
You see, Ovy's Voice is a simple yet very sweet watch that captivates you in a 'bed of roses' kind of way and then proceeds to wreak havoc on your emotions when you least expect it.
The writer manages to make a romance that is sweet and endearing, takes you along the journey, and is still not dragged out or too rushed. There are points where you kind of know where the storyline is and the writer and director give you space to embrace it, and even though you knew it was going to happen it still feels new.
Second standout feature is performance – most remarkably Bisola Aiyeola as Ovy.
For the most part of the movie she is just writing on boards and shrugging her shoulders. However, in the one scene at the hour mark where things change between her and Anaan, she manages to depict a world of emotions without ever saying a word.
Then there’s Shaffy Bello as Mama G who manages to embody the mother-in-law you wish you had, and Uche Obodo who apparently has learned how to tone it down much to all of our gratitude. Then there’s Mofe Duncan for the girls dem. Handome guy!
Then there’s the story itself. Just when you think you have it pegged for a certain type of film and you know where it’s going it flips the switch and becomes more. It’s originality is not from being so “brand new” of a storyline but from flipping the storyline at a time when the audience least expected it and pulling it off brilliantly.
And then there’s the music, anyone else catch that male rendition of Di’Ja’s “Awww” in the middle there? From the jump the movie hits you with the music and it’s above par.
Ovy’s Voice has a great weapon, and it is not because it keeps us eager by having a mute central figure, it is because there is a lot to this central figure. The story does not end up as a love story, it is an abuse story.
Because of Ovy’s behavior from the first scene, we assume that she has been mute from birth but we soon realize, that her condition was the aftermath of the constant sexual abuse she received from her from her father. From the age of 12, her father starts abusing her sexually and her mother feels shadowed by societal analysis and so she keeps quiet about it. She does not protect her daughter; neither does she confront the man.
The acting is great! Shaffy Bello is not the usual swift talking high-class woman in “Ovy’s Voice”. She takes on a completely different role, as a full Yoruba persona with an interesting accent to back it up.
Her time on screen is limited but she does a memorable job. Bisola Aiyeola also does a job worth commending, as the mute Ovy she is swift and her action throughout the film is the reason we stay hooked.
Ovy’s voice is not a fast-paced film, it slowly makes its point and even though it takes too long to do this, there is a lesson to learn from the production, at least if not for anything, for the exposure of one of the many effects of child abuse.
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