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NOLLYWOOD REVIEWER
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Here's what we feel are the good, the bad and overall challenging in this fast-rising entertainment industry.
THE GOOD: Leading ladies are beautiful, educated and well-dressed; male counterparts are articulate, handsome and charming. Watching Nollywood movies gives you a sense of what Nigeria must be like, as the location shots are often extensive and panoramic. The plots of Nollywood films run the gamut: From adultery, to black market organ trafficking, from rape and resulting revenge, to battle over royal thrones. There's prostitution and incest, ancient/modern mysticism and light romance. In short, these movies have it all. There is often a musical narrative, sung by an artist whose voice you'll come to recognize, and many of the same actors appear in different roles and combinations. Many of the older films are kid-friendly; from what we can tell, the newer films are becoming more racy and controversial. As such, some Nigerians fell the industry has become too "Westernized".
THE BAD: Low budget productions resulting in some technical issues. Many of the movies are unnecessarily long (average 4 hrs running time including all segments) and present more like a television miniseries. Some movies are reminiscent of an elaborate soap opera. Sound and picture quality may be compromised; some of the cheesy tribal and royal costumers can be humorous. But, what Nollywood lacks in production money, it makes up for with superb acting. Some of the best performances we've seen have come from: Jim Iyke, Ramsey Noa, Genevieve Minaj and Omatola Jalade. Production quality is improving as Nollywood gains in popularity. One negative thing we've noted: many of the scandalous movies involve promiscuity, yet no one ever pulls out a condom. With AIDS being so rampant, it'd be nice to see at least some of the characters practice safe sex.
Potentially frustrating: Nollywood has very confusing movie titles. The movies we've seen are in several parts, each an hour or so in length. For reasons unknown, the title of each film segment is different and unless you already know the order, you're very likely to watch the episodes of a movie out of sequence. In this review, we list segments in the order we've found them on YouTube and other sites.
THE CHALLENGING: Figuring out which movie segment to watch first. The dialogue can also be difficult at times for a Westerner to understand, especially when the actors speak rapidly, or in native Hausa or Yoruba. At times the actors switch between native dialect and English, but there will often be subtitles to help you follow along. After watching a few movies, it becomes a bit easier to decipher what's being said. There are some recurring sexist themes, including the scheming female/ wicked temptress/evil woman. Also, wealthy characters generally have black servants they treat with troubling disdain. As far as integrity goes, no man can resist temptation and women always forgive their men, no matter how bad the transgression.
If you're looking for a refreshing change from the Eurocentricity and pop culture of American cinema, Nollywood is a great choice. Touted as the third-largest movie industry after Hollywood and Bollywood, Nollywood is gaining in popularity and becoming more accessible to audiences worldwide.
In an effort to support minority films and filmmaking, Swing Street offers this candid and unbiased review of Nollywood cinema. Our reviewers are not paid to review any of the films; our goal is simply to help promote black cinema by exposing others to our movie-watching experiences. In many cases, we provide links to the films on YouTube and other sites; we cannot guarantee however, that any link or movie will be available.
The Nollywood Reviewer presents an eclectic line-up of Nigerian cinema, including suspense, romance, horror and light comedy. Clicking a movie's poster or "Watch Now" button will take you to a third-party site/the first movie in its series.
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Nigerian cinema, or "Nollywood" is growing in worldwide popularity and for good reason. The movies showcase striking actors and actresses with true celebrity appeal; the movies themselves are filled with jaw-dropping situations and intricacies. If a screenwriter can imagine it; then it's all fair game in the land of Nollywood.
A well-endowed electrician that seduces rich women and kidnaps their children. The ghost of a psychopath returns to haunt the man who has rejected her. An evil general rapes a young girl and two decades later, falls in love unknowingly with the product of his crime. A woman so desperate to marry a "white" man, she'll do anything... even bury an innocent baby to complete a juju ritual. These are but a few of the elaborate plots you'll experience when you watch Nigerian cinema.
The Nollywood Reviewer, a Swing Street exclusive, features the best (and sometimes worst) of Nigerian cinema. In deference to the Motherland, our rating system consists of "Drums" rather than stars.
The Nollywood Factory
