Starring:  Joke Silva, Patience Ozokwor, Funke Akindele, Kate Henshaw, Nkem Owoh

Synopsis:  After the unexpected death of a wealthy businessman, his family, staff, and acquaintances huddle at his home for his last will and testament.  

Review:

Chief Daddy (Taiwo Obileye), a widely successful individual, unexpectedly died after a meal at the table. He was found by the house help and word soon spread that he passed. Those who were named in his will were called to meet at his home. In addition to family and staff, the meeting was made up of mistresses and illegitimate children that caused a bit of friction.  

But before the will was read, the beneficiaries had to adhere to a codicil that assigned each of them a duty in arranging his funeral. Most importantly, it called for all to get along – a major hurdle due to the circumstances.  

Let’s Talk. Money. It tends to bring out our “A-game” whether it’s for a job, loan, or gift. In this story, the light at the end of the tunnel was a sizable inheritance but only if all could come together in peace to arrange a funeral. With so many claiming a piece of the pie it was more scandalous than peaceful.  

There were numerous characters, back stories, and situations that made the story a bit convoluted to the point where I thought this movie would wind up in my  “Eject” bin. Characters spoke at the same time, yelled at each other, and at times it was difficult to grasp what they were saying. There were also instances when they spoke in native dialect and if filmmakers are seeking mainstream audiences they’ll have to provide subtitles for non-English dialogue. 

The most unbelievable scene was the one when the staff found the chief dead. Calling the ambulance should have come way sooner especially from the other staff who just stood around instead of lending a helping hand. Weren’t they the help? This scene should have been serious because the remainder of the movie was available for humor.

Of course, it was all about the money as most counted their share before the will was actually read. Even vendors who were hired for funeral services saw an opportunity to overcharge the family. It seemed the chief was worth more dead than he was alive.

The human element in the story was that the named beneficiaries wanted to be acknowledged. Most were wormen he fathered children with and being called concubines and illegitimate caused a stir. The chief’s wife had to deal with his sudden death along with his transgressions whether they were during or prior to the marriage. 

“Chief Daddy” certainly wasn’t an original storyline but the filmmakers threw in a funeral like no other. The motto here was to celebrate life instead of mourning a loss. The women were dressed in colors they believed to be the chief’s favorite and they expressed themselves in dance, determined not to be ignored. Very entertaining!

Femi (Nigerian rapper Falz), who was one of the chief’s sons, used the funeral as a platform to display his rapping skills. I mean, who raps at a funeral?  A bit cray-cray but hey, Kanye raps at church services so maybe it’s not so odd. “Before you talk to me, who’s your daddy?” 🙂  🙂

Ebony Life Films has knack for tremendous productions and this was cut from the same cloth. After an hour and thirty six minutes of watching a dead man’s life unfold, the story prompts us to ponder what will we leave behind besides assets?  RECOMMEND