HERE LOVE LIES: A WORTHY TRANSCULTURAL NOLLYWOOD EXPERIMENT?
Joseph Omoniyi
Synopsis/Summary
“Here Love Lies” is 2023 Nollywood’s bold attempt at redefining neo-Nollwood. The Leon Global Media and Sunbow joint production, written by Ayoade Adeyanju and co-written by Tosin Oshin, runs for 131 minutes and employs English and code-mix languages of expression.
Directed by Tope Oshin after about four years of silence, the Romantic Thriller movie tells the story of a single mother and a Travel Blogger in pursuit of ‘forever love’ who settles for a social media romance after many failed attempts at finding true love. However, she eventually finds a too-good-to-be-true American Tourism business owner, and she embarks on a daring journey to the US to meet up for the first time, crossing into a threshold of ‘thrills’ and turns.
Shot in Lagos, Nigeria, NYC and Texas, USA, the movie stars Tope Oshin, Omowunmi Dada, Tim Shelburne, Angel Igwe, and Babara Walsh. It features Tina Mba, Sam Dede, Bambi Everson, Daniel Etim Effiong, Moyo Lawal, Stephenie Zibili, and others.
Here Love Lies’ plot is exciting and thought-provoking, but the pacing of its screenplay is uneven
Central Dramatic Problem (CDP). Thematic relevance and cultural compatibility.
Here Love Lies attempts to explore the conflict a single mother faces in finding love but fails to succeed because it fumbles in an attempt to pull twists here and there. First, the movie sets out as a fascinating Nigerian drama, pulling out from a super religious family led by a pastor-father who would rather sin against God than have his daughter, Amanda, gives birth out of wedlock. Then, we enter rom-com in the present day, where the adult Amanda, now a successful Travel Blogger, struggles with finding love as she keeps getting heartbroken by promiscuous men and guys who don’t have a thing with a single mother.
The movie’s idea of exploring cultural clashes is laudable. Despite westernised education, the culture of a traditional father being ashamed of their daughter getting pregnant out of wedlock is still common in many parts of Nigerian ethnicity. This comes head-to-head with a generation that won’t mind defying their parent’s traditional authority to establish independence. The film offers a unique perspective on Nigerian family dynamics, especially in conservative religious homes, and how they react to taboo issues like teenage pregnancy.
Also, online/social media dating is pitched against traditional dating. While many have struggled to find ‘love’ in restaurants and social gatherings, the internet provides a safe place and an alternative where those who fail to find love on the ‘streets’ hide behind their keypads and computing device screen. However, how much safety this option of finding love provides remains debatable.
Plot
In the heart of Nigeria, Amanda, the daughter of an overly religious family, finds herself pregnant in her teens. Her pastor father is plagued with shame, and after refusing to abort the child, Amanda is kicked out and left to fend for herself and her infant daughter. The family shuts the door on her, and her father curses her for bringing a lifetime pain upon him. Fourteen years later, Amanda is a single mother and travel Blogger trying her luck in dating. Unfortunately, her teenage daughter, Nora, is always the deal-breaker for her potential suitors.
After being humiliated by her date being caught by his wife, Amanda returns home to her best friend, Kemi. Kemi suggests Amanda talk to the man leaving comments on her travel page. The man, Michael, is an overtly affectionate American who pours nauseating “flirting” into Amanda’s profile, but she ignores the red flags and starts talking to him. Amanda is an overbearing parent to Nora, and despite her daughter’s pleas, she sends her to boarding school and takes away her phone for staying up late.
Within a few days of talking, Michael orders lunch for Amanda, and Kemi is so excited that she sends a voice note, but they don’t think of doing a background check on him. Amanda’s elder sister, Muna, visits her and informs her that she’s getting married, sending Amanda into a rage. She still has nightmares about the horrors she endured on the streets with her infant daughter because of her father’s pride.
Amanda leaves for a business meeting in NYC and surprises Michael with a visit. She fumes in rage upon seeing him with a young girl but later finds out that she’s his cousin, Natasha. Despite feeling uncomfortable about splitting the bill, Amanda shares a meal with Michael, who asks her out for a tour of NY the next day. Unfortunately, Liz, a woman who keeps interfering between Michael and Amanda, constantly interrupts their tour. While in the bathroom, Amanda overhears two workers talking about Michael potentially getting scammed, which makes her storm out on him while Liz smiles from a distance.
Kemi asks Amanda to think carefully before making a decision, and when Michael learns that she’s checking out, he stops her before she boards the taxi and takes her on a romantic date. First, he takes her to a Nigerian food place and makes her feel comfortable, and she confesses that she has a daughter, which doesn’t stop Michael from dating her. Next, he invites her to his isolated cabin surrounded by forest, and Amanda finds herself taken aback by the several animal trophies on the wall, with an entire room dedicated to the valour of killing wild animals. She’s even more shocked when she suddenly finds a decrepit and cryptic old woman named Ed.
Ed tells Amanda that Michael is a dangerous man, but Amanda doesn’t believe her and thinks she’s just an old, senile woman. However, Ed’s words make sense when Michael shows his true colours. He’s a man with a past that hurts many women and has been using his charm to lure them into his trap. Amanda tries to leave, but Michael’s guards catch her, and she finds herself trapped in the cabin. She discovers that Liz has been Michael’s accomplice, and they plan to sell her to human traffickers.
In a thrilling and nail-biting climax, Amanda uses her intelligence and bravery to outsmart Michael and Liz and escapes the cabin. She fights her way through the forest, and with the help of Ed, who comes to her rescue, she manages to get back to civilisation. The movie ends with Amanda reunited with her daughter and starting a new chapter in her life, free from the dangerous clutches
The cinematography of Here Love Lies is impressive, with beautiful shots that capture the essence of most of the scenes -however, nothing is recallable.
Screenplay
Here Love Lies’ plot is exciting and thought-provoking, but the pacing of its screenplay is uneven. The story drags most time, and the plot twists feel forced and predictable. Additionally, the dialogues are stilted and lack depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.
Having set up a gripping hook, introducing us to the family of the head of a church who kicks out and curses his youngest daughter, a teenage Amanda, who would not abort her ‘shameful pregnancy’. Then, the screenplay also successfully sets up the adult Amanda, moving on, after having scuttle through life, with untold hardships, to become a successful blogger. However, something is not right. This beautiful, successful lady keeps hitting dead ends regarding relationships. She keeps battling with the bad luck of meeting only the Nigerian men who see single mothers as a taboo and men whose wives would come and create embarrassing scenes just as their husbands are about to propose to her.
However, the screenplay suffers from the same disease common in most Nollywood movies – no second or mumbled second acts. Here Loves Lies which begins with a family drama in the first ten minutes, sinks into a rom-com in the following 20 minutes and then jerks into a psychotic thriller – a very failed attempt. Its bold dare becomes a frustrating adventure that could not be saved by its eventually forced plot, twists, and creepy characters.
Character and characterisation
The movie’s casting is so poor, with the actors delivering shabby performances that kill their characters to life. As a result, some of the characters lack flexibility and depth, feeling one-dimensional and predictable. In addition, the acting is mediocre, and some of the scenes come across as contrived.
Cinematography
The cinematography of Here Love Lies is impressive, with beautiful shots that capture the essence of most of the scenes -however, nothing is recallable. The lighting and camera angling are well-done, adding to the film’s overall aesthetic appeal. However, the fight sequences are irritating with the babish fight choreography.
Directorial Prowess/Production Design/Post-production
The production design of Here Love Lies is good, with attention paid to details. The setting and mise en scene are well-crafted. The costumes and props are also well-designed, adding to the film’s authenticity. The post-production is also well-done, with smooth transitions and cuts that add to the film’s flow. The colour grading and sound design could be improved, as it feels generic and uninspired. However, the music score is impressive, adding to the overall aesthetic appeal.
Lesson learnt
I do not know an educated mind in the 21st century that will not do a background check on an online suitor they meet for the first time before spending nights and days in their isolated, creepy house in a foreign land, but we get the lesson.
Here Love Lies explores the themes of love, family, and forgiveness. Unfortunately, however, the movie’s execution falls short of its potential.
Conclusion
One of the movie’s strengths is its exploration of cultural clashes, with Michael, an American man, and Amanda, a Nigerian woman, coming from different backgrounds. The film also touches on the stereotype that Westerners view Africans as scammers, which is a relevant and thought-provoking issue. However, these themes are not explored thoroughly, and the movie misses an opportunity to delve deeper into them.
The filmmakers tried too hard to force emotions rather than allowing the scenes to speak for themselves. The movie’s technical aspects, such as the sound and cinematography, are adequate but not exceptional.
Here Love Lies is a movie with an intriguing premise that could have been executed better. However, despite the film’s flaws, it’s a decent attempt at exploring family dynamics, cultural differences, and the complexities of love. While the movie might not appeal to everyone, fans of Nollywood movies might find it worth watching.
Verdict
Here Love Lies deserves a 40/100- you can do better. Up your game.
Shoots.ng Score Guide
Every Item is 10 marks and 100% in all.
71- 100%= you are the bomb, be ready for Oscar
51-70%= thank you for ‘repping’ quality
31- 50%= you can do better, up your game
11-30%= Return to film school
01- 10%= Filming is not for you, look for another job
Picture credits- Internet
