Breaking All the Rules

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Detolaaaaaaa…ah! Detola Jones is simply the Genevieve Nnaji of this current dispensation cos what! Can there be a movie where she’s playing a younger version of the veteran actress in a juxtaposition…like in a side by side kind of sequencing?

This kind of movie I’m proposing (if there isn’t one already), I would prefer, is directed by the likes of Ramsey Nouah, Tosin Igho, etc. I mean every bit of this. Detola has Genevieve’s speech mannerisms, tone of voice, facial expressions, even her gait…! I’m completely sold

Ok, enough of that for now. Lol.

So, straight up, when this movie “Breaking the Rules” as produced by Omoni Oboli started, I was prepared to give it at least an 8. That opening scene had me beaming with smiles and pride. Such a strong start!

However, at the introduction of Chucks (a character portrayed by Taye Arimoro) a nonchalant, game-playing, sports-watching, self absorbed boyfriend of Adanna’s (Detola Jones) daughter of the CEO of Dike Holdings (Patrick Doyle), I was able to map out the rest of the story.

This was still going well even though the original score I had, based on first impression had slowly started to wane but from the scene where a tech guy was needed at the office and Leo (played by Clinton Joshua) came in to save the day, boom, for me, my rating from there onward started to drop drastically.

From that moment on, it became disappointing. It did pick up later, though, but not much. Not only is the storyline one that has been countless times and interpreted by nearly all the Nollywood actors we know, but the plot also didn’t give anything new or refreshing. The direction was equally not impressive, and the acting especially from Clinton and Patrick were not as compelling.

The whole time, it felt like I was only seeing Detola. Well, to be fair, she often gives me that appeal in her movies, hence, I would love to see her with some A-listers in the industry such as Kehinde Bankole, Uzoamaka Anuinoh, Ini Dima-Okojie, Deyemi Okanlawon, Stan Nze, Gideon Okeke, Uzor Arukwe and others. Taye Arimoro did well, too, but he’s made for something better.

Initially, upon seeing the poster, I had my predictions, which turned out to be at least 80% correct. I was nonetheless hoping to be somewhat wowed, but this movie didn’t give me that except for the first five seconds of the movie.

Okay, please make this make sense: Adanna asked Leo how long he had worked for her father’s company and he said “five years…straight out of Uni” to which Adanna quipped “oh so you’re…lemme guess…20?”

Now, I know about child-prodigies like Norbert Wiener, who graduated from Uni at the age of 14, but that’s like on very rare occasions, which wasn’t particularly the focus of this movie Do people now most commonly graduate from Uni at 15?

So, the maths Adanna did there, didn’t add up. I know that the target was to establish Leo’s age to the viewers, albeit there are a thousand and one ways to have done that.

Furthermore, the transition to falling in love between Adanna and Leo is the most mechanical I’ve ever seen in a film in a while. That went fast in a flash, and it didn’t quite give “a love at first sight spark” to begin with.

The duo, in my very honest opinion, lacked onscreen chemistry, and what’s with the camera angles each time they were about to kiss? I mean, it’s not like I’m crazy about kïsses in movies or anything of such even though I LOVE love and romance, it’s just that, it only showed that someone was avoiding something (if you get what I mean).

Although they all did their best, this didn’t do it for me as I find that the entire cast should probably have been more suited for a better story and plot. The lady who played Leo’s business partner is one to look out for. Love her diction and calmness. She’s pretty, too.

Clinton just had to play a lover boy role similar to that which he played alongside Miwa Olorunfemi in “A Love To Remember” mostly expressed in what appeared like a plot twist which was rather bland and predictable from miles away.

The cast lineup was what attracted me to watch this. I’m however needing to watch something else now to make up for what I lost in this.

This movie could be for you, but it wasn’t for me. There was a lesson to be drawn from this regardless, which is to choose people who see you. While it’s a message we’ve taken from movies countless times, it is truly one that can not be overemphasised. It’s just the way they went about the delivery that didn’t quite hit the spot for me, sadly.

Until next time...BYE!