Witness Gospel Movie Reviews

Review of “ENITARAN”

This is a 2019 movie that was written by Olumide Oki. A commendable feat by this movie is its star-studded cast and crew. This movie uses actors and actresses whose pedigrees are those of protagonists, but here, many of them feature as supporting cast. Christ Mirror Film Productions did not limit itself in any way; I daresay that it got the best of the best in the ministry to shoulder the production portfolios of this movie.

Similarly, it didn’t make use of actors that belong to its ministry alone, but got many other professionals to do the tasks that needed to be carried out in the movie. It boasts cast like Kayode Babalola, Deborah Adeola, Omolara Ayoola, Chioma Chukwulotam, Tobi Olumuyiwa, Adeoye Omoniyi, Richard Omidiwura…the list is endless. The crew also comprises the cream of the crop in Victor Olukoju as the director, Kunle Adepoju as the director of photography, Nike Owah as the make-up artist, Chioma Chukwulotam as the continuity manager, Johnson Babatola as the set-designer, Abiola Babatola Nattytunes as the editor, Tunde Owah as the production manager, and a whole retinue of other ministry professionals. This is a movie with a lot of time, revenue and effort invested into it.

One other interesting and vital crew portfolio indicated in the end credits is the prayer department, which is credited to Olubunmi Oki. This is a strong indicator and reminder that the gospel movie sector is hardly an industry, but a ministry. The place of prayer cannot be overemphasized. Producing any film that proclaims the gospel is one under serious spiritual threats. Drama ministers have to come to this understanding that it’s not about being seen on stage or online, but about serious spiritual warfare which shouldn’t be taken lightly.

The movie is akin to an abstract painting, the meaning of which is somewhat of a mystery at the beginning but which eventually at the end, comes together to form a masterpiece. Just as pieces of a puzzle would, the ending of the movie serves as that “Aha!” moment where you get the whole picture. It serves as a great illustration of the message of the Cross, which is a pleasant aroma to those being saved and a stench to those perishing.

The movie tells about the good news which really is the ‘too-good-to-be-true’ news that salvation has come not by the law, but by believing on the one whom God has sent, His Son Jesus Christ. This is an “offer” to be grabbed with both hands. Like someone once said, you can’t genuinely be saved and not witness the transformation that only Jesus gives. He said that the gospel of Christ is like a product with a lifetime warranty: Try Jesus for six (6) months. If you don’t like it, you can have your sins back.

lol.

To watch/download the movie, click on the link below

NOT AN ORPHAN Review

“Not an Orphan” is a movie from Faith-Lift Productions uploaded on YouTube in 2019. The movie stars Joshua Alawiye, Victoria Odesola, Kolade Segun-Okeowo, Tolulope Odesola, and several others including veterans like Morakinyo Abiodun, Adenike Aderemi-Fashikun – the director of the film, Yemi Adepoju, Abayomi Ojo and others, including one of the producers and the man who conceived the story, the Assistant General Overseer (Admin & Personell) National Secretary RCCG, Pastor J.F. Odesola.

It brings to the fore the life of a young man Daniel, who is an orphan but who finds meaning in a relationship with God, though some others think that there can be no meaningful relationship with someone of his origins.

One commendable thing about this movie is the effort and resources put into its production. This is by no means a cheap production. I don’t think I have seen so many crew members partake in the production of a Nigerian gospel movie, experienced hands too. There was almost a different person to each portfolio; the story, screenplay, production management, set design, music, etc were all undertaken by different sets of people. It is therefore no big surprise that the quality of the production is high. It is a feature movie by all standards. The shots taken, locations used and costuming are representative of a wide variety of choices, and show that a lot of time and money was put into this. I greatly appreciate the movie for this.

The message of the movie itself is so powerful that you’d find yourself ruminating on it afterwards. For fear of spoiling the movie for those that have not watched it, I don’t want to write too much about the plot nor the moral it passes across, but one thing is sure – this film is deep.

Daniel suffers rejection from people you wouldn’t expect it, and one is made to wonder what kind of Christianity doesn’t show love and kindness to other people, even if they are from entirely different backgrounds to ours.

The acting is quite convincing too and we can keep peeling through the layers to see the different ways in which this movie ministers to people.

However, I think that the movie misses out on making itself not only an impactful, but an entertaining story; it misses out on making itself much more memorable than it was. At the end, the message shone through and would make you spell-bound, but I feel strongly that this movie could have been so much more. I’m referring here to a plot angle not explored at all, or barely explored in the movie – the relationship between Daniel and Deola.

It would have been a proper foil for the relationship between Daniel and Sharon which kick-started this movie. We see two lovebirds who later deliver a beautiful rendition of “You are the Reason I Live”. We don’t know how the relationship started but we feel like that they deeply love each other as they make heart-felt promises to each other when Daniel is about to leave the country. We might have seen more of Daniel’s love-mode had the movie shown us how the friendship between him and Sharon developed into what they eventually ended the movie as. The script could have explored it more and it could have been something dramatic or at least, endearing to the audience. I feel this would have also given then Tolulope Odesola (now Tolulope Mike-Bamiloye) more to work with and to do. It must be said though that the music at the end credits by the voices of Joshua Alawiye, Tolu and Victoria Odesola was beautifully rendered.

Nonetheless, “Not an Orphan” is a nice movie with a message everyone ought to consider and take action about.

To watch/download the movie, click the link below

Review of “Neema”

Neema is a 133-minute movie that is rich on every level – the story, its message, the performance of the actors, the reflection of reality, the captivation of the audience. It is like a delicious meal that fills you till you get satisfied. It doesn’t stuff itself down your throat but rather, feeds you spoon by spoon till the film is over, after which the digestion of its contents takes place step by step. The movie holds you gently and does not let you go till it’s done showing you the lives of its engaging characters.

The award-winning movie was brilliantly written by Tola Bolaji and directed by Daramola Kayode Babalola. It boasts a star-studded cast comprising veteran David Kola Okeowo, Afolabi Dipeolu (Running Against the Wind), Opeyemi Akintunde (Family Riot), Daramola Kayode Bablola (Back from Babylon, The Table is Set), Adekunle Idowu (Konkomania, God of Elijah), and a host of others.

You know, sometimes, when something is excellent, you fall short of words to describe it; that’s the way I feel about this movie.

I was initially reluctant to watch the movie because of its length. I wondered to myself whether it was a movie of two parts or a series, or something; I didn’t know what could justify it being that long. When I heard it had won awards, I decided to watch it, and seriously, I was not disappointed at all. In fact, the last movie that had that kind of effect on me was Land of Fury (2018). Neema is a very impactful and profound movie.

Neema is a story that weaves related plots together with a balance that is remarkable. It steadily builds its main plot and subplots in such a way that none feels overbearing or undertreated. It is a story that engages you from start to finish. The characters are well-built and we can relate to every thought, speech and action taken by them. The movie was evenly-paced such that it did not feel very long. Even when it had to do a flashback, it was done in a way that would create another set of images in the mind of the viewer.

It seems like certain decisions were made on its colour grading as there was a green feel to the whole movie, kind of in the way Ajoji Emi (2014) had a red feel to it. The music was apt for each scene and the camera work was accurately executed, even aiding the telling of the story.

It feels so strange to be lost for words but the truth is that there is so much to learn from, and enjoy in this movie. Wait know further; watch the movie by clicking the link below and put your comments on it in the comments section.

Did you know? Neema was nominated for several awards at Gofestival 2019 but won the prizes for Best Storyline and Best Directing.

Till the next movie review, stay blessed!

KONKOMANIA Review

Konkomania is an award-winning short film from the stables of Christ the Rock Media Communication (CRM). It was written and directed by Seyi Pedro-Adetola.

From the onset, we see that there’s something special about this movie. The graphics for the opening credits create the feel of a Hollywood blockbuster. There’s a splendid camera movement in the second scene to reveal the main character, Konko, played by Segun Temitayo. His performance is excellent; his portrayal of a “garage boy” is first-class. Pedro-Adetola’s depiction of his mother is truly remarkable. I commented on my review of Kembe Isonu that her performance there was her best I’d ever seen; I didn’t know she’d produced an excellent rendition in a previous movie. I’ll surely be looking out for more movies she’s featured in.

Some tune choices were creatively done and matched the scenes they were chosen for. It was a short movie but still had time for a few comic lines along the way. The dialogue was well-scripted; it was enlightening at times and the perfect language for the garage setting was used. The movie makes us see that in spite of dire circumstances, there’s hope for everyone who lets God in. It rightly negates the mentality of fate that many have, even Christians, and makes us see that God’s plans for us are for good (Jeremiah 29:11).

The potential of Konkomania, I feel, is bigger than a short movie. It has enough material to be feature-length. How do I mean? One answer – Mama Konko, Seyi Pedro-Adetola’s character.

*Is there more to come from this character?*

For a few minutes at the beginning, one would think that she’d be the heroine of the movie; that’s until Konko’s character steps up to that plate. A one-hour film can be crafted on her character, and boy, what a character that would be!

I think though, that the opening scene of the movie could have been cut out, because I’m not sure what its relevance to the overall movie is. Perhaps, a sequel? That would be something, wouldn’t it?

One sentence repeated occasionally in the movie is “Are you ready?” I feel this is a significant question that faces everyone in the world. It’s a defining moment in our lives – when we’d decide to accept or refuse the sacrifice Jesus made for us. It’s a yes/no question that holds so much capacity for the change we all need. I pray our response will always be in the positive.

Did you know? Konkomania won the award for Best Short Film, and took third place for Best Audio at Gofestival 2019.

To watch/download the movie, click on the link below

Next, we’ll be reviewing another award-winning movie, Neema. Watch out!

WHAT A MOVIE! – “Neema”

I just finished watching Neema a couple of minutes ago, and what an experience it was!

In fact, no movie has moved me so much since Damilola Mike-Bamiloye’s Land of Fury in 2018.

I shouldn’t be too surprised though, because Neema was nominated for several awards at GOFEST 2019 and won a few at the event. Truly, it is an excellent movie.

Neema review coming up next. Watch out!

“OKUNKUN BIRIMUBIRIMU” REVIEW

Okunkun Birimubirimu is a captivating movie about a couple’s journey through having a child out of wedlock. As usual, Isaac Femi-Akintunde has come up with a brilliant story that immerses the spirit, soul and body of the viewer into the pool of its conflict and resolution. It was released from the stables of Mount Zion Film Productions, and was directed by Isaac Femi-Akintunde as well.

*After all Bosun had gone through in the courts*hip…

One major thing to commend about this movie is the near-flawless subtitles. Subtitles have rather unfortunately been an area where it seems Gospel movies have had problems in the recent past, but with the kind of effort put into the subtitling of this movie, the future is really bright for subsequent movies.

The sequence of the plot is really good. Even though most of the events can be said to be a flashback, it is imaginatively done. Because of this, the movie makes for a more interesting narrative on second watching. The premise that drives the plot can be found in the command the Holy Spirit gives men in Ephesians 5:25. This film gives quite an adequate and illustrative reflection of it. Nowhere else do we feel the love more than at the end of the movie. It is a love story at its core but also shows itself up as a Gospel movie.

All the actors and actresses here perform their roles very well. Isaac Femi-Akintunde (Abejoye Series, Kembe Isonu) and Bukola Omolola (Block 10, Laide’s Note) play realistic parents for Shade, who was effectively played by Opeyemi Akintunde (Neema, Ewa Inu). Her husband is played by Jide Aanu Ademola (Ewa Inu, Family Riot). Thumbs up should be given to Nike Owah for giving Aanu Ademola a younger look; he looks his most handsome in this film, in my opinion. Also, when the time came around, Opeyemi Akintunde did look like a pregnant woman.

The camera work was nicely done, with pans, zooms and dolly shots spread across every scene in the movie. The editing was also seamlessly executed. The use of dialogue to form transitions into new scenes was a move successfully pulled off. The music was distinct, harmonious and pleasurable.

Something that I observed, and which I think is one of the strengths of Okunkun Birimubirimu, is that it presents down-to-earth, and especially Biblical perspectives on its subject matter. Almost all its characters are Christians, and we notice that certain undesirable conflicts could arise even in a Christian home. While some unpleasant things happen, we see how we as Christians ought to handle such matters. Similarly, we notice that there are different levels of maturity in Christ, and it is this maturity that determines how we respond to situations.

One other thing I love about the plot of this movie is that right from the get-go, the conflict is introduced. The point that secrecy/deceit never pays off at any time is steadily established. When any of the characters is on the wrong path, God Himself snaps them out of it. All these lead us through to its resolution, which reminds me of Ecclesiastes 7:16-17. Another part of the movie that touches me are the scenes where Jide Aanu Ademola prays over the unborn baby; when you watch it, you’ll discover what makes that place so special.

Okunkun Birimubirimu is an hour-long movie and is a touching watching experience.

To watch/download the movie, click the link below.

“DIRE” Review

Dire is a movie from the stables of Mount Zion Film Productions. It was written and directed by David Seun Abraham (Ewa Inu) and starred seeming newbies – Laditi Olaniyi Joseph as Tony and Morolayo Idowu as Sofia as the main characters – with Sam Aliyu, Adeoye Omoniyi (Abejoye Season 2), Ronke Gladys Abraham and a few others as supporting cast.

Dire tells the story of a young man, Tony, whose marriage proposal to the love of his life, Sofia, has been turned down, and who then begins to second-guess his motives when he learns of her terrible past.

The story is one that all singles would learn from, as it presents a situation so often encountered, especially in the body of Christ. It raises the question of whether we can truly accept the “all things have become new” pillar of our faith. One thing that I appreciate the movie for is that right from the beginning, we come across less-than-perfect scenarios that present us with opportunity as viewers to ask ourselves what we would do if we were in the characters’ shoes. Such reflexions serve as introspection for us the audience.

The movie has a good story on its hands and tries to let the camera work aid that. Zooms are occasionally used to hone in on the faces of characters to make the scenes more intense, while pans are used to insert motion into some scenes that otherwise might have felt static. Similarly, the cuts to the next scenes are creatively done; this enabled the editing to do a bit of the storytelling. The advantage of this is that each scene was empowered to do only the necessary; no impertinent dialogues or shots, no scene waslonger than it should be. Hence, the movie is evenly-paced, a steadiness it kept from beginning to end.

The characters were effective without being spectacular. The viewer does feel that Laditi’s Tony and Idowu’s Sofia are actually in the situation the writer throws them into. I’m particularly impressed by the portrayal of the relationship between Tony and his older brother played by Adeoye Omoniyi. It never pretends that all siblings are close, because we see the difference in temperament and stature clearly; we even feel a rather large gap in their ages, and this is confirmed as Sam is scripted as being the first child while Tony is the last. Kudos then should be given to the casting director for picking actors that fitted the profiles of the characters.

Music, they say, is food to the soul. Unfortunately, Dire was devoid of both. There was strangely no background music or soundtrack in the movie at all. If the movie was this good without tunes, I can only imagine how much better it would be with sound. The greater news is that it’s not an irreversible problem. The movie could be re-edited and background music inserted. That would do the movie a world of good.

All in all, Dire is a solid movie that blesses its audience and has some valuable lessons to be learnt.

To watch and/or download the movie, click on the link below
https://youtu.be/ztTuMcHw_NI

Next, we’ll be reviewing a 2019 Yoruba Christian movie Okunkun Birimubirimu. Watch out!

Our YouTube channel is launched!

Hey folks!

This is to announce that you can now watch some of our movie reviews on our YouTube channel – YNWAP REVIEWS.

This channel offers in addition to reviews, trailers and download links, and we hope to eventually make the upgrade to uploading movies. So help us God.

Please watch the channel trailer and subscribe to the channel, while also clicking the notification bell that will notify you of our video uploads.

Here’s the channel trailer link: https://youtu.be/7dmxexJ0wCw

Stay blessed!

A SWEET-SMELLING SAVOUR : “THE SALT” REVIEW

“The Salt” has the feel of a socio-political movie, and is actually one. In fact, I would say that this is an ideal that should be followed. The movie touches different aspects of our society – government, medicine, education, and the economy. Despite its social elements, it is a Christian movie in every sense of the word. It perhaps corrects the notion that a Christian movie is about the church; it’s not. This movie shows that the church is not the totality of the life of the Christian. 90 percent of what Christians do as humans happens outside the church and that is where we show what our real identity is.

The 2019 movie is from the stables of Praise in Zion Ministries Productions and was written by Nike Akande who also headed the music department. The director was Olasunkanmi Solomon.

The way the screenplay was written is commendable because though certain details are excluded from many scenes, subsequent scenes fill up every gap created, to the effect that each scene propels the plot and earns its place in the movie as a whole. Hence, hardly at any point in time did the movie drag or feel arid or boring. In fact, on second viewing, it’s more pleasurable because many of the movie’s elements make more sense to the audience then. The way the main plot and subplots are linked together is artistically done.

The scenery of “The Salt” is rather beautiful, most prominent of which is the tranquil hilltop compound where Chief Agbabiaka, played by Moses Korede Are (Haunted, Kembe Isonu), meets with his goons. Ironically, the matters discussed in that scene are contrary to what Jesus said about a city set on a hill. He produces a top-notch performance as a political godfather, considering the fact that most times, he plays the “good guy”. In that scene, he also delivers a line that would shock the audience – a line that portrays the depth of the ruthlessness of unscrupulous politicians.

The movie uses a variety of music appropriately and uses silence where necessary. The dialogue was also well-scripted; it was expository when it needed to be, and inspirational at the right places. Some nice editing produced a few good simultaneous sequences of action.

“The Salt” quite brilliantly portrays the realities of present-day Nigeria. We see certain ironies when two “thieves” – one behind bars and the other walking free – engage in a conversation about who has wrecked more havoc; corruption has become a competition. The movie also reflects the mentality that many have today, where integrity is seen as weakness. Also impressive is the symbolic use of the number ‘4’ to raise a question – whether the four cups of rice politicians give people to get their support is enough reason to select a leader who would rule for four years, rice that cannot last more than four weeks.

However, there was a discrepancy in the name of a political party: “Righteous” is used in one place while “Upright” is used in another scene regarding that same party. Also, I don’t think it is possible, or at least professional, that a nurse would tell a just-delivered mother that she has lost her babies. Perhaps, this is just to show how some people can be insensitive. Nonetheless, the things “The Salt” has done very well are too many for the words of a review to express.

After being blessed at the end of this movie, I wondered how great it might have been for Nigerians to have watched this movie before the elections held earlier this year; I however saw something significant about it being released on October 1, a historic day in the nation. So, maybe with the knowledge and wisdom garnered from “The Salt”, we can begin to prepare years ahead for the next elections – we are a country known for late planning and shoddy eventual preparations, but perhaps now, we have the opportunity to begin to change our mindsets early enough; we have the chance to begin to pray that the Lord will give us the kind of leaders we need; we have the privilege to rediscover our saltiness in every sphere of life; we have the chance to put things right; we have the chance to be the light of the world, we have the chance to be the change we want to see. It begins now; it begins with us.

So, for the next four years, can we prepare to make decisions that will determine the development of our beloved country? The ball is in our courts.

To watch the movie, click the link below https://youtu.be/2f3JwxuEEK0

Next, we’ll be reviewing another 2019 movie – Dire. Till then!

“NOT GOOD ENOUGH” REVIEW

Not too many short films catch my attention; Not Good Enough did.

The 20-minute long short was written and directed by Land of Fury (2018) star (General), Joseph Opadele, who was ably assisted by his amusing assistant (Mario) in the same movie, Kolo Peter. It was released on the Joseph Opadele YouTube channel from the stables of Salt Drama Ministries, Zaria, Nigeria.

The cinematography of this movie is commendable as the DOP on set – Kolo Peter – purposefully chooses his shots to aid the telling of the story. Rather than rely heavily on dialogue to inform the audience about everything in a scene, this movie lets the shots do the talking where appropriate. Also, though the story is relatively a straightforward and short one, the choice of shots, as well as the editing (done by Joseph Opadele) makes it look like a complex storyline. The DOP also chooses to go handheld sometimes, which helps to create an illusion of the tension in a scene or the instability of a character. Most actors played their parts and delivered their lines believably, which made the movie easier to follow.

Another remarkable thing about this short is the score used in the movie. The choice of background music is appropriate and immerses the viewer a bit more into the experience of a pleasurable watching. Even the use of silence and the absence of background music achieve specific effects, and give this short movie a feature film length impression. To cap it off, the theme music of the movie’s title by Johnson Obisesan (Majorjay) provides the perfect, three-minute end credits sequence to the movie. It’s beautifully rendered and is a message on its own, how much more after watching such a heart-touching production. In fact, you might catch yourself humming the song after having watched the movie.

The film talks about a man who is being constantly rejected in different aspects of his life, and while he is discouraged, one of his productions helps to save another hopeless person like him, from committing suicide. The hopelessness of the beginning is replaced with a hope that would soothe the heart of every human being, that though we aren’t good enough, God still loves us so much.

All in all, it turns out that Not Good Enough was actually good enough, maybe even better than that.

Click on the link below to watch the movie: https://youtu.be/Lcnmy6Vnpw8

Later in the week, we’ll be reviewing another interesting 2019 movie in “The Salt”. Watch out!