Starring: Bimbo Manuel, Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi, Sika Osei, Marlon Mave

Synopsis:

A finance official refused to use his position to relieve a family member of tax issues but he got an unexpected opportunity to mend fences when trouble hit home again.

Review:

The movie opened up to a scandal where Harry’s father-in-law committed tax fraud. Harry (Bimbo Manuel) was the country’s Minister of Finance and perhaps he could have pulled some strings but he didn’t want to risk soiling his name. 

His wife, Jessica (Funlola Aofiyebi), resented his decision not to use his influence to save her father. She had given up her career so that he could focus on politics and the one time that she needed him, he chose to uphold the law instead of his family.   

The issue created a rift in Harry and Jessica’s marriage and adding to their woes was a strained relationship between Jessica and her teenaged daughter. 

Jessica’s outlet was Jacques (Marlon Mave), a young man that she met by chance. Their acquaintance led to an affair and Jessica’s late nights made Harry suspicious. He decided to follow her one evening and he encounterd more trouble than he ever expected. 

Let’s Talk. It’s called the domino effect. This is a story where a series of events snowballed into the next. In the end we were led to a peaceful place but a cloud would forever hover over it. 

The movie actually started at the end as we traced Harry’s steps and came full circle. Maybe if Harry made the right decision and did right by his family, maybe the circumstances that followed wouldn’t have taken place. Maybe. We’ll never know. 

One pinch in the story was when Jessica and her young lover were on their second date. The filmmakers decided to exclude us from their conversation and made the dialogue inaudible. We saw them laugh and talk but we didn’t know what the conversation was about. Bad move.

At that time, it was important for the audience to share in how they connected, especially because there was an age difference. As Jessica and Jacques got to know each other, we could have simultaneously become more familiar with them. 

As the affair ensued and Jacques learned that Jessica was married to a powerful man, he gave us one of the funniest lines. He said to Jessica, “This isn’t leading anywhere is it?” It probably wasn’t meant to be humorous but it was because that line normally comes from a woman. 

Another ticklish line in the movie was during Jessica’s meltdown where she informed her husband to “use the balls God gave you.” So blunt, so funny. 

Honestly, there were moments in the movie that felt tepid but things picked up toward the middle and the drama didn’t disappoint. 

Performances sufficed and direction, sound, and picture quality were satisfactory as well. The thing about Director, Shirley Frimpong-Manso is that she employs well-to-do characters that are representative of modern Ghana. Her contemporary style of writing makes for alluring movies. 

“Grey Dawn” left us a new dawn spiked with uncertainty. And that’s good story telling not only because we’re lured into our imaginations but because the door was left open for a sequel.

Ultimately, the story suggests that we do the right thing – even if it’s the harder choice. RECOMMEND