Starring:  Temi Otedola, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Joke Silva, Ini Edo

Synopsis:  A bright student in Nigeria takes on the academic establishment when she reports a popular professor who tried to rape her. 

Review:

Moremi (Temi Otedola), an ambitious student, had her eyes on employment at the UN and therefore, she took her education quite seriously. She was an intelligent young woman who made it a point to participate in class. Things went awry when she made the mistake of becoming too familiar with Professor Lucien (Jimmy Jean Lewis). He was an accomplished instructor with a pristine reputation but strangely he lacked the skills to drive a stick shift. Moremi patiently taught him how and this is when they became friendly.  

It was at a party when the professor privately informed Moremi that she passed his class. After the guests left, he made the moves on her and when she resisted he tried to rape her. When class resumed, Moremi learned her passing grade was spitefully changed to a failing one.  She took her complaint to the faculty but she was doubted when the professor told a completely different version of events. 

Let’s Talk. Student/Teacher sex. Sex in exchange for good grades. Teachers that take advantage of their position. Rape. This is what we expected to see when the movie rolled and we did…sort of.  The film was constructed around a social issue but the problem was that the premise got lost. The story drowned in various subplots that didn’t gel with the story. Clearly, there wasn’t enough content for a feature length movie, thus the curtains opened for the circus that transpired.  

The attempted rape proceeding was long, dry, and boring as were the lectures. Moremi’s version of events were visual while the Professor’s account was mostly verbal. This was a clear giveaway of the conclusion and eliminated any suspense. 

The scenes dipped in out of the past and at times it was difficult to follow what was taking place when. Also annoying was Jimmy Jean-Louis’s afro. Why was a wig necessary? Did more hair equate to the professional look of a professor? I think not.  His fake look detracted from the gravity of the topic. 

What the movie accomplished was that it encouraged those in these situations to come forward especially because rape in Nigeria has negative connotations and is often swept under the rug.  In this case, Moremi had a lot to fight for – her reputation, the work she put into her education, and the promising career that was to follow. 

Another positive takeaway was the sightseeing in Senegal. It was a change from typical Nigerian scenery and its cultural aesthetic was attractive thanks to proficient cinematography.  

The cast consisted of seasoned actors like Joke Silva, Adjetey Anang, Ini Edo, and Jimmy Jean-Louis but even this lineup couldn’t revive a comatose story.   

“Kunle Afolayan directed but this wasn’t representative of his past projects. The trailer gave the impression it would be something like the movie called “The Arbitration” but it didn’t come anywhere close. With a premise that struggled to remain front burner, the movie lacked the emotional impact needed to be significant in this genre. EJECT