Our movie review for the week is the Nollywood movie, Oloture (endurance), an EbonyLife film. The movie was directed by Kenneth Gyang and produced by Heidi Uys, Temidayo Abudu, and James Amuta. It was released in October, 2020.
Oloture features amazing casts, such as Blossom Chukwujekwu as Emeka, Sharon Ooja as Oloture, Omoni Oboli as Alero (Madam P), Omaumi Dada as Linda, Sambasa Nzeribe as Victor, Ikechukwu Onunaku as Chuks, etc.
Plot and Settings
Oloture, which was set in Lagos, describes the plight of young girls in a bid to earn an income to fend for themselves and their families. However, they all indulge in prostitution to do this, which wasn't exactly the best of all occupations. Some of the characters in the movie shared their displeasure but never wanted to opt because they were out of options.
The movie impeccably x-rays prostitution and human trafficking as an ever-green venture and dangerous occupation and the continuous fight to end it. However, it focuses on Oloture (played by Sharon Ooja), is a young, naive journalist goes undercover in the movie to expose the trafficking ring, which has been shipping girls for several years.
Oloture, a member of staff of NAPTIP, was a key member who tried to put an end to human trafficking by investigating the game players, their mode of operation, and transportation routes. NAPTIP had planted her as a mole to investigate. Unfortunately, she didn't have all the answers and at the end, she wasn't able to communicate her findings to her boss as she was trafficked to Italy.
The ending of the movie caused lots of controversy, and lots of people didn't quite expect the tragic ending. However, the message passed across was clear, regardless of the movie's ending. It shows the war against prostitution and human trafficking was far from being over.
Characters & Characterization
The main characters in the movie were perfectly interpreted, although Omaumi Dada was a little bit cautious ad reserved through out the movie. Sharon Ooja, Omoni Oboli, Blossom Chukwujekwu, and Sambasa Nzeribe were all at their best. However, Sharon Ooja was particularly more impressive considering this was her first movie she ever played as the lead character.
Oloture, her character was the mole and she played her part perfectly. She was raped by one of the big guys in government, played by Sir Philips (played by Patrick Doyle), at a party. She couldn't tell any of her peers or even Madam P to avoid jeopardizing her investigation. However, she told Emeka (played by Blossom Chukwujekwu).
Emeka was Oloture's boss and he had a crush on her, even though Oloture rejected his advances. Emeka fully understood the situation Oloture was at, as it became tougher and more dangerous. He wanted to pull her out of the investigation for the sake of her life, but it was late. Oloture convinced him that she wanted to see the end of it.
Alero or Madam P, a retired prostitute (played by Omoni Oboli) headed the prostitution ring and had concluded plans to ship the girls to Italy where she had contacts and was previously based.
SoundTracks & Score
Nollywood seems to have finally gotten it right regarding soundtracks and score. Oloture's soundtracks may not have provoked the emotions or made us feel what the characters felt, but they weren't bad. Overall, the score was okay.
Verdict
Despite the controversial ending, Oloture remains one of the best scripted movies of 2020. It was widely applauded for its paunchy story line. Highlighting local and world problems and culture conflicts has been a hallmark of most Nollywood movies, but Oloture clearly sets the bar. It shows movies can offer much more than entertaining viewers. It shows movies can contribute to solving issues by awakening the conscious minds of relevant authorities.
Have you watched the movie? Share your views and comments.
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