Directed by Moses Inwang, Alter Ego follows the story of a successful lawyer, Adaora Igwe (Omotola Jalade Ekeinde) who passionately defends the less privileged and sexually abused of society at no cost. She is also a secret nymphomaniac who picks up different men, enjoys them for a while and pays them off. She opens up to billionaire philanthropist, Timothy Ighodaro (Wale Ojo) about her past and together the two travel across Nigeria spreading relief materials and bringing hope to the destitute. They fall in love and just as she is about to live her happily ever after, everything comes crashing down when she discovers Timothy’s dark secret.
Hits
Omotola Jalade Ekeinde. Omotola has proved once again that she is still in the game with a strong and convincing performance as Adaora Igwe. She inhabits the characters of both barrister and sex addict, switching seamlessly between both. You are literarily sucked into her world and even with her flaws, you find yourself still rooting for her success. Despite the weight gain, she still exudes her trademark sexiness for which her fans have come to love her for.
Acting. The acting prowess displayed by Omotola Jalade Ekeinde is complemented with equally solid performances from Wale Ojo as Timothy Ighodaro. His charm, charisma and carriage portray wealth with class. The chemistry between him and Omotola makes for great screen candy. The supporting cast of Tina Mba, Bobby Obodo, Kunle Remi, Esther Eyibio, Francis Ochie and Elvina Ibru also prove their mettle.
Casting. It was a good blend of known, upcoming and new faces in Nollywood. Omotola Jalade Ekeinde as Adaora Igwe was a screen extension of her currently preoccupation as a human rights activist.
Misses
Script. This is the movie’s biggest downfall. Filled with so much dialogue where the characters are constantly preaching and talking at you forcing down their message. At points, you wonder if it is a sexual rights documentary parading as a melodrama soap opera. There are several subplots and back stories that are introduced but only given a shallow treatment. Adaora Igwe’s character is full of clichés, one of which is that any woman with an insatiable hunger for sex must have been abused. The victims of sexual abuse are mostly girls in the hands of adult males. What happened to the boys who are also victimized? Surely, they too deserve their own share of the limelight.
Editing. The movie builds up gradually albeit slowly to a heightened crescendo and then drags with its convoluted ending. Another issue was the use of drone footage throughout the movie even when it was not called for. This ended up drawing unnecessary attention and taking away from the shine of the parts where it was deployed beautifully.
Activism. This was not handled tastefully or creatively. The UNICEF logo kept popping up on the screen. There were long talks and scenes where the audience got a schooling on human rights, the laws of Nigeria and the Sustainable Development Goals. Less would have been definitely more.
Reviewed by Isabella Akinseye.
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