2022 has been a productive and innovative year for Nollywood, the industry powerhouses have strived to do more in terms of telling stories in genres that have gotten little to no attention at the cinema level in the past. From the Yoruba epic, King of Thieves, the psychological horror, Ile Owo to the adult romcom, Hey You, and the upcoming action thriller, Brotherhood. It’s hard to ignore the efforts put into place to create a diversified cinematic experience.
The directing/producing duo (Kayode Kasum and Dare Olaitan)who brought us Ile Owo have one more surprise, and it’s one we have gotten very little of, a Nollywood musical. When the film was announced I was very skeptical, especially after my disappointment with Ile Owo but this film delivered above my expectations.
Obara’M follows Oluchi (Nancy Isime), an up-and-coming musician who is forced to confront her true self and her past mistakes after her estranged father’s (Nkem Owoh) death. She learns to reconnect with her daughter (Darasimi Nadi) who she abandoned at a young age through their love for music. However, the echoes from the past, greed and bad decisions, spring from every corner, threatening to bring them down.
Obara’M is a compelling story that doesn’t shy away from real-life issues and consequences. This is a film that everyone can relate to, one created from love with the intent to celebrate love. The plot progressed smoothly with each part coming along nicely and building up to a beautiful climax. The character growth in the film is one of my best parts, it was so realistic and relatable. Unlike other films that force forgiveness and a happy ending, Obara’M only offers this when it is deserved.
The cinematography was beautiful and it brings life to the various locations, the music was refreshing and awakening, with a mix of comedy, sorrow, vibes, love, and jubilation, the music was complete and added substance to the overall experience. The cast was beautiful, Nancy Isime delivers exceptionally well and she’s getting better, The Cavemen was a beautiful surprise and they played their roles perfectly, although the true star was Darasimi Nadi, the child star was phenomenal and gave one of the best performances I’ve seen from Nollywood this year.
While this feels like a perfect film, it is far from it because the issue with Obara’M is its lack of attention to detail. Ihunaya ran away from home but somehow was able to change into three different outfits during her search sequence, the characters of Deyemi Okanlawon and Bolanle Ninolowo barely had any noticeable change in the eleven years space, and the lip-syncing was very obvious in a lot of the characters. While this can be ignored by the audience, noticing it will surely place a hole in the experience.
While Obara’M isn’t perfect, it’s the film that is needed presently as you will leave the cinema with a big smile on your face. It is a must-watch.