Starring: Desmond Elliott, Onyeka Emechebe, Mena Sodje, Lota Chukwu

Synopsis:
Three women take acting lessons with plans to break into Nollywood but each experience their share of challenges.

Review:
The Spot Light Academy offered a six-week acting class with a promise to award the top two with a part in a Nollywood movie. Hope, Shiza, and Angola teamed up to learn the ropes but had a few obstacles.

Shiza (Lota Chukwu) secretly enrolled in the class despite her father’s wish for her to attend law school. Angola (Onyeka Emechebe) was engaged to a man that didn’t support her endeavors while Hope (Mena Sodje) had to overcome her accent.

Let’s Talk. This is a behind the scenes look at the acting world that’s interwoven with the personal lives of three women that aspired to be actresses. The story preached passion and determination as the name of the game but also warned of the pitfalls of Nollywood.

While we were privy to practice performances and a bit of Meisner technique, we also got a taste of the competitive reality of the business. The story spoke of movie stars, product placement, and marketing, all which add value to films. Speaking of which, the names of some popular Nollywood actors were used to market this movie. Although they only had guest roles it’s their names that were highlighted.

The question becomes why do people want to become actors? Is it for the limelight or for the love of the craft? Lord knows we’ve seen quite a bit of actors that were “talent-free” so what was their purpose for appearing in a movie? How did they bypass those with talent to get onto the big screen?

Even in this movie there was some “acting.” Clearly, not everyone has the skill and it’s the passion for the work that will conquer that rocky road to stardom.

The story? It wasn’t spectacular but I like the idea. The challenges the women faced were accurate because, for the most part, parents want their children to pursue “steady” careers and the unpredictable life of a performer is often discouraged.

The message here was to never give up on your dreams but what if your dream is just that? A dream. It’s important to align your goals with your true talent. Set the wheels in motion and make your aspirations a reality. You don’t want to get to your senior years and have the words “shoulda, woulda, coulda” in your vocabulary and you also don’t want to waste years chasing a career you were never good at.

This movie may be appreciated by those who are unfamiliar with the filming process. As stated in a prior review, when we watch movies we are watching the final product. The casting call, production mishaps, and other conflicts aren’t evident so this movie serves as an exposé of sorts.

Ultimately, “Spot Light” certainly did its title justice by creating an opportunity for lessor-known actors to work. It’s this open door policy that encourages and provides the platform for dreams. RECOMMEND