Starring: Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Chiwetel Ejifor, Joseph Mawle, Wale Ojo, Onyeka Onwenu

Synopsis:

Twin sisters living very different lives reunite during the Nigerian civil war and manage to survive scandal and violence until tragedy struck.

Review:

Olanna (Thandie Newton) and Kainene (Anika Noni Rose) are twins that had wealth, education, and charisma. Olanna was more of a free spirit while Kainene had an interest in business. 

They came to live in the newly independent Nigeria in the early sixties but their lives took different paths. Olanna moved in with her lover, Odenigbo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), while Kainene took on the family business. 

Olanna and her lover had a rocky relationship thanks to infidelity that produced a child. Adding to their woes was his mother’s disapproval of her. Kainene did well with the family business and fell in love with Richard (Joseph Mawle), an English writer. 

The Nigerian civil war intruded on their lives as Biafra fought to become an independent republic. Olanna and Odenigbo were constantly uprooted as they often relocated to escape war violence. 

When the sisters reunited years later, a betrayal among them came to light but their biggest challenge was staying alive during the turbulent times. 

Let’s Talk. This is a production that featured both Nollywood and Hollywood actors. It’s an adaptation of the novel with the same title, written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. 

Biyi Bandele directed this drama that centered on the lives of twin sisters during the Nigerian civil war. While most of the relationships in the story had their share of friction, the union between Olanna and her boyfriend was front burner. Actual newsreels documented the war as it shared subplot status with Kainene’s life. 

The story was a little lopsided as more time was spent on the dynamics between Olanna and her lover instead of the relationship between the sisters. That particular aspect was underdeveloped and as a result, we didn’t really get to know Kainene. 

I did not read the book so I can’t comment on whether the movie was an accurate depiction of the story. Books are normally best as they capture fundamental details while movies extract what would be theatrically appealing. But clearly, independent of the book, the movie sought to gratify with its enticing relationships, robust explosions, and political exposition.  

The movie was honest in regard to the prejudice within the African culture and it had riveting scenes that relived the violence and senseless murders during that time. It also discussed the origin of racism, blaming whites, but also faulting Blacks. It didn’t escape infidelity (movie land’s popular theme) but here the affairs were born of manipulation and despair where love transcended resentment.

There certainly was enough drama to spare but the story left a feeling that there should have been a huge confrontation between the sisters when a scandalous secret was exposed.  Again, I didn’t read the book but this, in my opinion, is what the events translated

Performances? Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, and Chiwetel Ejiofor gave stellar performances while popular Nollywood actors complemented the production.  

In terms of ratings, this movie is rated “R” and contains brief nudity so parents beware.

Overall, the drama inspired forgiveness although it was overshadowed by tragedy. It was an insightful fusion of romance, war, and politics. RECOMMEND