Starring: Francis Duru, Charles Inojie, Mercy Aigbe, Jude Orhorha, T.T. Temple

Synopsis:

A local gang led by a persuasive swindler carries out a series of robberies until they are outsmarted by one of their victims.

Review:

Mike (Francis Duru) was a guy that showed one face but hid the other.  He constantly recited the Holy Scriptures and no one had a clue that he was a lowlife thief. The rich often employed him as a houseboy or gateman and he secretly scouted their homes for an opportunity to strike. Whenever he learned there was cash he ordered his crew to violently invade the house and steal it. 

Mike continued this charade for as long as it worked. He moved from house to house and used his religious antics to convince homeowners to employ him. He even manipulated his way into a wealthy woman’s life and gluttonously took her body and money. 

His persona as a broke man with a strong faith in God paid off until his trickery caught up with him. 

Let’s Talk. This DVD has four parts. It’s a decent movie that started out well but then fell by the wayside. Part one introduced Mike (Francis Duru) as a character with two contrasting sides. He was interesting to watch as he played the pitiful man that preached the word of God and then flipped to the manipulator that took advantage of people’s kindness. 

Of course, as movie watchers, we know that most robbers eventually pay for their crimes but before Mike was punished the story somehow lost steam.  

The number one complaint is that the drama was watered down with unnecessary or extended scenes. For instance, there were times where we had to watch Mike do his many chores or listen to him play the harmonica and there was also the overkill montage where he was on a date with a woman. Too long!!! 

There were other lengthy scenes where we had to watch the gang rejoicing after a successful hit. And did they really have to throw in a romance between two of the gang members? Tsk, tsk… 

It’s really disheartening when a movie has inadequate editing. It makes a movie seem amateur and the entire project suffers. Filmmakers have got to learn when to “CUT” for crying out loud. Stop making four-part movies when the story can be told in two!! C’mon people!! Come. On. 

Another irritant was the fact that the robbers never wore masks. Really? Who does that? Also, with all of the robberies that took place none of them were reported to the police except for the last one. Hmm…not very likely… 

What the movie did have going for it was that we knew what the drama was about early on. The filmmakers dived right in without an extravagant story set up. The tale consisted of a nice fusion of crime and religion.  

With the exception of Francis Duru, performances were so-so. Some actors were overdramatic while others underplayed their roles. Francis Duru brought the heat and portrayed his character well.   

As usual there were technical issues. The audio in general was decent but during the fight scenes the sound of the punches didn’t coordinate well with action and therefore, left an air of doubt. 

For the most part, this movie was a disappointment. All things considered, “All Things” could have been better. EJECT