Title: MISPLACED DESIRES (Full Story)

Starring: Alexx Ekubo, Ikay Ogbonna, Juliet Mgborukwe, Dabby Chimere

Synopsis:

A physically fit man nags his wife about losing weight and her reluctance leads him into the arms of another. 

Review:

Brian (Alexx Ekubo) and Rosie (Dabby Chimere) recently had a baby and Rosie gained some “baby weight.” She became settled in her new body but Brian was embarrassed by it. He voiced his displeasure and she tried dieting but failed. It turned out that he was no longer attracted to her and it caused a problematic marriage. 

Meanwhile, another couple, Freddie and Venita (Ikay Ogbonna & Juliet Mgborukwe) also suffered marital issues because Freddie spent too much time at work. He was a busy surgeon and his schedule resulted in Venita becoming a bored housewife. 

Lo and behold, the two couples intermingled when Brian (from the 1st couple) met Venita (from the second couple). The two met for the first time at a venue and after a mere acquaintance they wound up in Venita’s marital bed.

Venita’s husband just happened to arrive home early that day and when he saw her in bed with another he was shocked frozen. He silently left without a word and they were unaware of his presence. 

Venita’s husband didn’t immediately confront her so it was a disaster waiting to happen but what made matters worse was that Brian happened to be an old friend his.  

The subplot was about Venita’s friend that surreptitiously sought revenge toward her for an incident that happened when they were teenagers.  

Let’s Talk. Cheating. Is there a faithful marriage on earth or in movie land? This is a drama about the obvious. Two couples experienced marital woes, which resulted in infidelity. The male from one couple coincidently met the female from the other and the two enjoyed having sex with each other more than with their spouses. 

Why is it that infidelity in Nollywood is always with the mate of a best friend? Even when characters meet with what we think are random strangers there’s often a social connection somewhere. This type of storyline is so played out but unfortunately we will continue to see it time and time again. 

The underlying plot in the story pertained to the challenge of losing weight. Writer, Dabby Chimere used her size to her advantage and created “Rosie”, a character that reflected a real human being. Rosie wasn’t perfect and had a difficult time getting started when it came to diet and exercise. The midnight cravings and eating all the wrong foods was indeed true to life.

Rosie wanted to be perfect for her husband and the story took the matter a step further when she took a “magic pill” that she believed would eliminate the extra weight. She got sick and it delivered an important message – the only tried and true method to weight loss is diet and exercise. 

The question becomes do we love the person or their image? The Ghana movie “Secret Burden” also shared this topic. If someone is no longer attracted to their spouse does that mean they no longer love them? How do you define the word “love?”  

To delve further into the movie, the subplot where Venita’s friend plotted against her was a bit contrived and the method of revenge was a bit over the top.

Also questionable was the scene where Brian visited with Freddie. It wasn’t Brian’s first time in the home (he slept with Venita there) so he should have guessed that Venita was Freddie’s wife long before she walked into the room. 

As for technical issues, there were problems with sound. Straining to hear the dialogue happened too often thanks to the loud music and other background factors. 

Performances? I am too pleased to announce that I enjoyed Ikay Ogbonna’s portrayal of “Freddie.” I always thought of him as a one-dimensional actor because he often plays the saaame character – slightly thug, sunglasses wearing, cool sort of guy. This time he played an uptight surgeon (thank you, Dabby) and he tossed the dark shades for a pair of nerdy glasses and showed some real emotion. Halleluiah. You go, boo. Show ‘em what you got. 

Dabby Chimere’s acting was on par. She not only made the character believable but relatable. Alexx Ekubo was pompous when he needed to be but also shaped the character with a little humility and humor. 

Despite the ordinary theatrics, the pacing was good and devoid of the common overextended scenes. This movie is a vast improvement from “Second Honeymoon” (also by Dabz Films) and the filmmakers simply got to the point and got out. 

Also commendable was that the writers didn’t end the movie with that “happily ever after” forgiveness crap. Not that we shouldn’t forgive but sometimes movies have to reflect strong women that make men pay the consequences for their actions. The typical “kiss and make up” remedy only serves as an enabler that keeps people scheming and cheating. RECOMMEND