(By Obianuju Okafor) - King of Boys had a lot to live up to from day one of its
announcement. Kemi Adetiba’s previous feature film project was the successful
Wedding Party film. That particular project had been a collaborative win with
EbonyLife Films tag teaming other major production houses – FilmOne
Distribution, Inkblot Productions and Koga studios – and all of them together
trusting the project to the hands of the director who had, for the most part,
cut her teeth directing music videos. She delivered then, and it’s easy to say
that with King of Boys she has performed an even greater feat.
An effective trailer built anticipation for King of Boys, and
the gangster royalty themed premiere managed to also heighten conversations
about what was to be expected. All this background is necessary to point out
the tall expectations that followed King of Boys, and why it is amazing that it
did not disappoint. There is a common Nigerian parlance used in discussing
films that have been well marketed and therefore well talked about prior to a
bulk of people actually seeing it. It is this concept of over-hyping, where
people who watch a movie after an explosion of compliments for it condition
their enjoyment by claiming that it is merely ‘okay’ and unable to live up to
the particular tall order or hype that had so far followed it.
This is one of the reasons why it is surprising that Adetiba’s
King of Boys has so far been met with positive reviews online. One could say
that it is still too early and the overhype train just has not pulled into the
station, but perhaps there is hope that people are actually seeing all the
things that Adetiba has gotten right with this movie.
Kemi Adetiba wrote a compelling story with King of Boys that
moves beyond the gangster angle touted by its trailer to actually paint a picture
of political realities in Nigeria. The major theme in King of Boys is
corruption, but sub themes of power and vengeance make up an undeniable part of
its fabric. It is also hard to dispute the feminist bent to the entire story.
Alhaja Eniola Salami is the ruthless ruler of the Lagos
underworld. She has a strong right hand in her daughter Kemi Salami, and has
her heart set on finally acquiring a political position. The futility of this
ambition and the fight for her underworld throne make up the frame that King of
Boys is built on. On that frame, Kemi Adetiba manages to hang a strong back
story as well as serve up several commentaries on the Nigerian society and
political elite.
The dialogue, especially on the part of Eniola Salami, is quite
heavy on proverbs delivered in our indigenous languages and tight subtitling
ensures that the audience does not miss a beat in appreciating the gems. The
manner in which the writer chooses to have events unfold is a big part of the
film’s ability to hold interest despite its absurd length that was part of the
post-premiere conversation.
Sola Sobowale pulls out all the stops as Eniola Salami giving
every turn of the multifaceted character her all, but she is not the only actor
to watch out for in the film. King of Boys manages to pull out the most
breathtaking performances for most of her cast. Toni Tones as the younger
Eniola Salami is able to send shivers down spines in some scenes. Adesua Etomi as Kemi
Salami gives a memorable performance for a character that is vastly different
from her usual roles. Paul Sambo also stands out as the incorruptible financial
crimes operative – Gobir, and Reminisce plays the part of Makanaki as if the
part was written specifically for him.
All these characters are served excellently by an amazing
wardrobe crew, and this was especially true for Eniola Salami and Kemi Salami.
There are some faults to be found in King of Boys when it comes to technical
aspects like colour grading and sound, but they are not enough to distract the
audience too much from the story unfolding before them. The scenes of violence
were done well enough to have people flinching and gasping.
The greatest complaint for King of Boys still remains the
length. Some scenes drag on too long and some other scenes are quite redundant,
but for its relevance, badassery and all the many ways it went beyond the
expected King of Boys remains a really, really great film, and Kemi Adetiba
shows with it that she is a daring storyteller, who is quite comfortable doing
her own thing.
From us at Sodas ‘N’ Popcorn HQ, King of Boys earns a Popcorn
and Soda.
King Of Boys Written and Directed by Kemi Adetiba
Produced by Kemi Adetiba, Kene Okwuosa and Remi Adetiba
Cast: Sola Sobowale, Toni Tones, Adesua Etomi, Paul Sambo, Reminisce, Ill Bliss, Osas Ajibade, Sharon Ooja, Jide Kosoko
This review was written by our film critic, Obianuju Okafor
Obianuju is a freelance content writer who has an avid interest
in Nollywood. She has training in film-making from The School of Media and
Communication, Pan Atlantic University and the Afriff 2016 scriptwriting
workshop, which enables her to gab knowledgeably about what works and does not
in Nollywood films.
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