Title: JEALOUS WAR (1 & 2)

Sequel: FINAL JEALOUS WAR

Starring: Ini Edo, Mike Ezuruonye, Leo Mezie

Synopsis:

A case of mistaken identity prevails when an obsessive lawyer sets out to eliminate the man in the way of obtaining the woman of his dreams.

Review:

Jude (Leo Mezie) had his eyes set on Amanda (Ini Edo). She was his client and although she appreciated his legal services and friendship, her heart belonged to Franklin (Mike Ezuruonye). Franklin had been experiencing some harassment by the police department because he looked similar to a culprit that they were searching for. 

When Amanda hired Jude to defend Franklin against the police, Jude also made the mistake of believing that Franklin was the criminal at large. Jude set out to have the police kill Franklin in order to protect Amanda from him while it also conveniently eliminated the competition for Amanda’s heart. 

The day came when Amanda witnessed the police shoot Franklin to death and she was consequently traumatized. Jude comforted her while he pretended he would make the police pay for their actions but the truth was that he was satisfied that Franklin was gone and he thought he had a chance to win Amanda’s love. 

It turned out that Franklin had an identical twin named Nicholas. Nicholas (Mike Ezuruonye) was stolen at birth and both men were unaware that they had a sibling. Nicholas grew up poor and lived a life of crime and he was actually the guy that the police were searching for and not Franklin. 

Lo and behold, Amanda coincidentally met Nicholas in Lagos and fainted at the sight of him. She believed he was Franklin and Nicholas had no idea who she was. Long story short, Amanda learned that Franklin and Nicholas were twins and that their biological mother died after giving birth to them. 

Nicholas and Amanda fell in love while Nicholas suffered the pain of never meeting his brother and the guilt that Franklin died for his crimes. 

The situation came to a boiling point because Nicholas was the criminal that Jude believed he shielded Amanda from but instead Nicholas became the man she wanted to marry which, left Jude out in the cold again. Determined to have Amanda, Jude orchestrated his next move. 

Let’s Talk. Drama for days. This is a movie about love and jealousy but it’s also layered with a few subplots. At the core is a man that wanted a woman so badly that he was willing to casually take the life of anyone in his way. The thing about the story is that the woman, Amanda, wasn’t at all in love with him and she told him so in the very first scene. 

What’s commendable about the story its characterization. The twins, Franklin and Nicholas (both played by Mike Ezuruonye) were complete opposites. Franklin was a good guy while Nicholas lived life as a criminal.

The writer didn’t just make Nicholas a thug; she managed to explain how and why he became a thief. Kudos. And then she blessed the character with an array of emotions as he displayed his love for his brother and remorse for his lifestyle. 

The subplots dealt with the police department’s mistaken identity case and the cover-up. Also, there was much disapproval from just about everyone over Amanda’s relationship with bad boy, Nicholas. 

What’s questionable is that while Amanda fell in love with two brothers, she never once considered Jude as a boyfriend. That didn’t seem likely since he was good-looking and a powerful attorney that happened to have professed his love for her. He wasn’t really a bad guy; he just let jealousy overpower his logic. It would have made for an interesting story had Amanda begun to fall for Jude and then changed her mind because she met Nicholas. 

Performances? Unfortunately, not all of the acting was impressive but the three main characters played by Ini Edo, Mike Ezuruonye, and Leo Mezie were pretty good.

As for technical stuff, there were some problems with sound, especially in part three, where video and sound were not properly aligned. 

Overall the story was decent and it kept my interest. RECOMMEND