Starring: Ini Edo, Joshua Richards, Bimbo Manuel, Femi Jacobs

Synopsis:

A young man in love with an older woman inadvertently forces her to play her last card in order to halt his relentless advances.

Review:

Adey (Joshua Richards), a man of college age, was a popular break-dancer on campus. He had his share of choices when it came to women but his heart belonged to Minna (Ini Edo). Minna was once his nanny and she was significantly older than he was. Her feelings for him were maternal since she practically raised him from a young boy. 

Adey continuously flirted with Minna but she laughed it off and didn’t take him seriously. She was actually building a relationship with Richard (Femi Jacobs), a man more her age. But whenever Adey saw them together he grew increasingly jealous and possessive. 

While Adey’s schoolmates thought he was crazy for desiring an older woman, he gave Minna a ring and continued to pursue her. The day came when the situation got out of control and Minna took a step that got him to back off completely. 

Let’s Talk. Maybe I’m watching too many movies but I called this one before I pushed “play.” There were three clues that gave away the outcome. 1) The movie’s description – see synopsis above, 2) the title “Birthmark” and 3) the fact that it’s an African movie (tee-hee). We know African stories can be a little cray-cray (that’s why I love them). If you’ve seen enough of them you probably guessed the conclusion too. 

So, yes, the movie was predictable. Not only was it predictable, it was also slow moving. At fifty-two minutes in, I was hoping it would end. I also wished the ending would surprise me but it didn’t. 

Most of the movie was comprised of Adey chasing Minna along with some dancing and college campus scenes; however, it did raise a few questions. Does age matter in relationships? What’s the maximum acceptable age gap?

It seems that anything goes these days. If the United States allows men to marry men then why can’t a younger person marry someone that’s significantly older? Where does that stand on the Richter scale of morals? 

As for performances, the only reason to watch this movie is to see the last scene where Ini Edo’s character has a meltdown. The remaining actors were believable in their roles, it’s just that story was flat and disenchanting. 

Audio and video were satisfactory, as I’ve come to expect from Rok Studios. The music in the first scene was a little muffled but other than that, sound sufficed. 

The moral of the story? Don’t live a lie. The past has a way of resurfacing and can wreak havoc on our lives. This definitely is not “must watch” status and wasn’t a Rok Studio best. EJECT