Starring: Ini Edo, Kofi Adjorlolo, Ikay Ogbonna, Omoni Oboli

Synopsis:  

A woman and her young lover set out to kill her wealthy husband but it becomes a challenge when her husband hires a bodyguard to trail her every move.

Review:

The story opens up to Michelle (Ini Edo) confessing her past. Flashbacks are shown of her troubled environment where her father abused her mother. To escape the violence she married Chief Tamuno (Kofi Adjorlolo).  Tamuno was twice her age and wealthy. He seemed to really love her but his love was not reciprocated as Michelle cheated on him with Jeff (Ikay Ogbonna). Jeff was a handsome guy and more her age but couldn’t fill Tamuno’s shoes in terms of wealth. 

Chief Tamuno was the only thing in the way of Michelle being with Jeff legitimately. Instead of divorce, Michelle figured she had more to gain if she killed him. As she began to consider his murder, he unwittingly threw a monkey wrench into her plans when he hired a bodyguard for her.

The bodyguard went with Michelle everywhere which was problematic. She made an effort to break down the bodyguard’s wall of professionalism in order to control him but just when she was making progress things spiraled out of control. Jeff became weary of the waiting game and all of the canceled dates and he took matters into his own hands.

Let’s Talk. Young wife plus rich old husband equals murder. It’s a popular equation and that’s okay as long as the new version is good. This one isn’t. 

“Stolen Tomorrow” is reminiscent of Pascal Amanfo’s “Shakira” where a young woman also sought to kill her older, wealthy husband. It also shares similarities with “Love Lorn.” Frankly, “Shakira” was better-written and directed. It had the one thing that this movie didn’t – intrigue.

The flaws. First off, with all the money that Chief Tamuno had why on earth would he settle for a bodyguard with a disabled leg? We know his ulterior motive was to keep tabs on Michelle but how was the bodyguard supposed to help his wife in a time of need if he couldn’t run? There’s a scene where shots were fired and the bodyguard came to the rescue as fast as he could…with a rushed limp. C’mon people. Come on. 

Somehow Michelle was able to continue her secret rendezvous with Jeff even after the bodyguard was hired. How did she manage that? Where was the bodyguard when she was in bed with Jeff? Also, what was Michelle’s plan of action? We know she was in the process of figuring out how she would kill her husband but I don’t think she ever had an official plan.

The chemistry between Michelle and Jeff was so-so. They acted like an old married couple instead of two red hot lovers that were dying to be together enough to commit murder. I did not believe they were in love. I’m not so convinced that they were even in lust.

There is a scene where Jeff was losing his patience with being the #2 guy in Michelle’s life and he unexpectedly intruded on her when her bodyguard was present.  The bodyguard didn’t know who he was but he allowed them to speak privately. The audience wasn’t privy to the conversation and we had to wait around for them to finish talking right along with the bodyguard. What was the point of this scene? Jeff came in a huff to say something and we don’t even know what he said. Sigh….

As for the shootout scene there was something very important missing – blood! Also, it isn’t clear who got shot. Was it Jeff? Chief Tamuno? Both? In addition to the many lingering questions, the movie also moved at a slow pace and had dragged out scenes. Did we really have to watch Jeff think and then watch him smoke a cigarette and then watch him have a drink all by himself? I can appreciate characters having a moment of solitude but Directors and editors have to know when enough is enough.

As for acting, I happen to be pro actor and I prefer not to discredit them. I realize that it takes time to hone acting skill and the best way to this is in front of the camera. But since Ikay was in the lead role I have no choice but to talk about him. I felt that he was “acting” and didn’t make that magical transformation into the character. He needs to go back to the drawing board and release that edge about him that’s blocking raw emotion from coming through. Something internal is holding him back and when he releases whatever it is, his performances will soar.

I think Ini Edo is a top actress but as far as this production is concerned she was in need of a better story.

At the end of the movie, Michelle concluded the declaration that she started at the top of the movie. Was she speaking to the audience? A shrink? It wasn’t clear.

It’s up to the writer and director to portray a clear and concise story. This was not the case here. Honestly, there are better “I wanna kill my rich husband” movies out there. EJECT

See HOW WE RATE MOVIES

Follow @TalkAfrMovies