Starring:  Jackie Appiah, Lydia Forson, Naa Ashorkor Mensa-Doku

Synopsis:  After a decade, three women are now old friends but with brand new problems. 

Review:

The movie opens up with a sultry song with lyrics that paired well with the theme. The camera brought us to Akasi’s (Naa Ashorkor) anniversary party – a room full of celebrants. She had been married to Fela (Adjetey Anang) for ten years but beneath their happy smiles was a troubled marriage. Not only had they been trying to get pregnant for their entire marriage, Akasi was tired of having sex. 

Her closest pals, Aseye and Dede (Jackie Appiah & Lydia Forson) were also in attendance and they had their share of issues too. Aseye’s husband avoided sex fearing she would conceive their sixth child and little did she know he had been hiding a secret about their finances. 

Dede (Lydia Forson), was sporting a new boyfriend in his fifties although she had a thing for younger men. He was unaware that she was in hot water and accused of raping one of her young lovers. 

Let’s Talk. This is a sequel to the original movie “The Perfect Picture” released in 2009. It left off at Akasi and Fela’s wedding and this version opened to their tenth-year anniversary. There were clips from the first movie that would be recognized by those who saw it.   

The main cast reprised their roles and they all looked fantastic. It’s true – black don’t crack! Adding to the lineup was Richard Mofe-Damijo, Beverly Naya, Gideon Okeke and others. It still revolved around the sisterhood of the three women and their very complicated love lives. The one thing that remained constant were the friendships. The women supported each other through new issues that dealt with infertility, finances, and as usual, sex. 

There was a salacious sex tape and a “50 Shades of Chocolate” scene 🙂  where we witnessed Dede (Lydia Forson) involved in a sexual act with her young stud – the one she was accused of raping. She was all dressed in leather while her lover was shackled, gagged, and blindfolded. This storyline was a bit questionable (but still interesting) because I personally don’t believe a man can be raped (by a woman). He can be enticed, yes. Seduced, yes. Manipulated, yes. But raped? A man can’t have an erection against his will. Plus, they’re always willing, aren’t they? 

Speaking of sex, there was a sexual liberation throughout the movie that was pretty amusing. The women spoke candidly about their libidos and I’m sure many women could relate to at least one of these characters.  Women tend to be mislabeled because they enjoy sex (or not) and these conversations give women permission to own who they are. 

The story progressed at a fair pace although there were pockets of ho-hum moments. There were diverse locations that made the movie look spectacular.  But this is the style of Sparrow Productions as their movies feature modern, globally relatable, well-to-do characters. There was also lots of high-spirited music that was well placed that I actually got up to dance to. Talk about entertainment! 

The one conversation that stuck out for me was the one where Taylor (John Dumelo) admitted that the one thing missing in his marriage was a soulmate. It’s a common situation and maybe this is something Sparrow Productions can explore in the “Life and Living It” sequel (the male version of “The Perfect Picture”). I’m not saying there’s a sequel in the works but hey, what’s life without a little hope?  

The cast was a lineup of accomplished actors with Jackie Appiah, Lydia Forson, Adjetey Anang, and Naa Ashorker. Jackie Appiah once again played the lead and narrated the story. Actually, she won an AMAA for best actress in a lead role for her part in the original film. 

So was the sequel better than the original? Hmm…I enjoyed the original a little more, however, this was a solid run for the money. RECOMMEND