Starring: Genevieve Nnaji, Joseph Benjamin, Joke Silva 

Synopsis:  

A couple struggles to rekindle their marriage after their honeymoon turned into an unexpected nightmare. 

Review:

The movie commences with Lola and Uzo (Genevieve Nnaji and Joseph Benjamin) at a marriage counselor’s office. Obviously, they were having marital problems but the issues were not yet revealed. 

As the story unfolded we learned that on the couple’s honeymoon night, intruders abused Lola at gunpoint in their hotel suite. Uzo’s life was also threatened as he helplessly witnessed his new wife being attacked.

What was supposed to be a night of wedding bliss turned into a night of disaster. Consequently, the ordeal became the core of their relationship instead of the love that they shared. Their feelings regarding the incident clashed and caused a stalemate in the marriage.

Let’s Talk. The movie allows the audience to eavesdrop on a couple’s journey of healing, reconciliation, and self-exploration.

At first Lola was still traumatized from the incident and she wasn’t ready for intimacy with Uzo. He suffered from feelings of guilt because he couldn’t save her during the ordeal. He didn’t even have an opportunity for revenge since the intruders met death in a subsequent incident.

Lola and Uzo remained celibate during their courtship and their marriage had yet to be consummated. The marriage further deteriorated as Lola withered away in self-pity, which left Uzo feeling neglected and frustrated. 

Just as Lola began to show signs of improvement, sexual dysfunction and infidelity crept into their marriage. It seemed like divorce was inevitable but as the movie illustrates, resolution begins with love, faith, and time.

There’s a scene where Lola’s father explained that marriage is like a dance and that “it takes two to tango.” The tango is a partner dance where both partners move in unison, one behind the other or in opposition. Either way, it’s only a tango if two people dance it and the movie cleverly relates marriage to the dance.  

In terms of the story, it moved at a fairly slow pace but it didn’t exude boredom. There was infidelity in the story that I feel was skirted over especially since other issues in the relationship was tackled in depth.

As for the ending, I think a passionate scene between the couple would have been better in terms of closure instead of cutting to a few years later when things had evidently improved. 

The casting was perfect as we had the two most beautiful people as main characters and they complemented each other in a way that was appealing and effective.

In terms of performances it appears that Genevieve Nnaji has taken the route of quality not quantity. Her appearances in movies are few and far between but she’s certainly worth the wait. Her performance here was sincere and demonstrated why she’s considered an A-List actress. Joseph Benjamin delivered a fine performance as well. 

“Tango with Me” waltzed its way to a captivating drama. The first step was a screenplay with thought provoking dialogue and compounding conflict. The right cast and impressive acting gave it the perfect beat. It’s a signature piece for Director, Mahmood Ali-Balogun and it’s certainly a classic for Nollywood. RECOMMEND 

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