Starring: Michael Godson, Ebele Okaro, Jibola Dabo, Mercy Isoyip

Synopsis:
A young man, rejected since birth by his mother, pulls out all the stops to gain her favor.

Review:
Mona (Ebele Okaro) gave birth at a young age as a result of rape. A life of poverty and abandonment followed as her mother, unaware of the circumstances, shunned her for the out-of-wedlock pregnancy. As a result, Mona resented her son, Tata, because his presence reflected the hardship she faced.

Tata (Michael Godson) grew up to be a young man who took to the streets. He did whatever he had to, including steal, in order to eat. His lucky break came when he met the wealthy Joan (Mercy Isoyip) whose father owned a gas company. She tried to hook him up with a job but he foolishly turned it down. Soon after when his mother fell ill, he found himself in a pickle trying to raise money for her medical expenses.

Let’s Talk. This is a drama that started out on the right foot. It revolved around a strained relationship between mother and son. In the background was poverty and the streets, and sometimes in life we get that one opportunity to succeed and the main character, played by Michael Godson, blew it.

The story reflected the aftermath of rape and how it trickles into unwanted pregnancies, shame, poverty, and in this case, never-ending trauma. While most mothers instantly fall in love with their babies, Mona, played by Ebele Okaro, instantly hated her son. It wasn’t a case of postpartum depression; it was a lifetime of bitterness she couldn’t shake.

The movie ushered us through Tata’s battle with the streets, the obscurity of why his mother disowned him, and an unknown father. These were genuine issues which gave the character quite a bit to work with but soon the bothersome details set in.

For one thing, the question came up as to how many times the hospital was paid. When I played it back, I realized that in one instance Tata was fantasizing. Because of the way it was edited, it wasn’t crystal clear at first and it was confusing.

Also, there was room for romance between Joan and Tata. They had a rousing connection and their relationship turned out to be nothing but a loose end in the tale.

Most disturbing was the scene at the hospital where Mona finally felt adoration for Tata. Without confessing why she was so repelled by him made the movie feel like an unfinished thought. We knew why but her son didn’t.

It’s always a failure to end a movie without dissecting the issues it created. Tata was left hanging without answers, the mother still had her demons bottled up inside, and the audience was cheated out of proper closure. Why didn’t Mona tell her son the truth? This was crucial to the story and its omission brought the movie down a notch. 

Performances were key. Ebele Okaro always rises to the occasion and Michael Godson was a force to be reckoned with. Both gave award worthy performances.

As for other factors, the music successfully set the tone for some of the scenes and although subtitles were provided, there were spelling and punctuation errors.

There’s no love like a mother’s love however, the movie was more about a son’s amazing love for a neglectful mother. It oozed with potential but lost steam thanks to its half-baked conclusion. But admittedly, I was hooked for most of it. RECOMMEND