Half Of A Yellow Sun Movie- my review

Okay, now I need to talk.

I've seen a few movie reviews lately. Kind of interesting how people have so varied opinions about the same stuff. Not surprising though since we don't wear the same shirt.
Anyway, I went to the movies today. Ozone Cinema at Sabo, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria. Do I also need to tell you it's in West Africa? I hope not. 
I saw the popular movie, 'Half Of A Yellow Sun'. 
Hmmmm (sighs), how do I begin this?

Okay, generally I think it's eh........m,  starting with the good side, I was impressed. Really. I looked out for a foolery in the costume and props and setting, you know, since it was dated back to the 60's. They pulled it off pretty well. I loved the fact that the hair styles and the dresses were old school and the cars.... I was really tripped to see right hand drive cars. It showed they were thinking. That's unlike what you see in typical Nollywood movies; not to bad-mouth anybody, but I think Nollywood directors should understand that viewers have working brains.
Back to the movie, yea, I was also impressed with the war scenes, the gun fires, bombings, they were pretty real. I couldn't believe I was seeing a Nigerian movie. Well, not like it was a Nollywood movie though.
Kudos to Onyeka Onwenu. She was just perfect for her role. I loved her acting.

But I didn't start out enjoying the movie. I was just going through the motions till the war scenes began.
And why was that?
First, I personally think that a Nigerian would have best suited the lead role. It was hard to convince me that Olanna was Nigerian, even though they said she schooled in London. No matter how long you school abroad, you should be able to pronounce at least your own name correctly. So in that case I wasn't impressed.
Secondly, I just didn't get why she had to be shown nude and then severally for that matter.
Then the sex scenes.... (shaking head) the details weren't necessary.

Being a Christian I detected a lot of wrong values being portrayed by the movie and if care is not taken, people will imbibe these as the norm.
Things like Olanna and Kainene making decisions to leave home and just informing their parents during the last supper. Kainene meeting a white man with his date in a party and she flirts about him. He leaves his date and starts seeing her, then finally marries her.
Olanna moving into the house of her boyfriend and having sex with him before marriage. Odenigbo using 'being drunk' as an excuse for sleeping with Amara and Olanna's aunt saying of Odenigbo that he just did what 'all' men do. By this they are unconsciously or maybe even consciously, you never can tell, putting it to men that infidelity is part of their genes.
Then, Olanna retaliating by sleeping with her sister's boyfriend and telling Odenigbo after he just made out with her. Such a web of licentiousness.

Yes I understand that these things are what really happen in life, but we have to make it clear also that they are wrong and have repercussions, if not the society will be formed by the values we present via media, while media will keep presenting those values as real life and it just becomes a vicious cycle. Media has a power of influence. Christians called into media should use it for good because we will be judged.

Then there was a long delay with the casting before the movie started (typical of Nollywood) and 'directed by ' appeared 3 times before the movie. Looked like the director was advertising himself. Don't know, just saying.

In conclusion, if you've not seen it, maybe you should. But don't have your hopes high because I might just have been more disappointed if I had read the novel before seeing the movie- most movies adapted from novels are less interesting than their novels. 
Also, please don't go with children or teenagers and guard your heart with all diligence. We come across so much wrong stuff daily that we just have to learn, as followers of Christ to take in the juice and spit out the gum.
(Heaves a sigh of relief), now I have quite well spoken.

©Radiant~ August 2014