Taking a break from the portrayal of the boujee lifestyle on screens, ‘Battle on Buka Street’ takes us on an exciting ride to the grassroots as a reminder of why we enjoyed watching old Nollywood home videos starring Patience Ozokwor as the jealous first or second wife.
ByShola-Adido Oladotun December 24, 2022 Reading Time: 2 mins read

Movie title: Battle on Buka street

Date of release: 16th of December 2022

Cast: Funke Akindele, Tina Mba, Nkem Owoh, Mercy Johnson, Sola Sobowale, Mike Afolarin

Run time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Directors: Funke Akindele and Tobi Makinde

What do you get when Funke Akindele spearheads a project on polygamous family members? Simple; a good movie titled Battle on Buka street.

Everyone loves a good dramatic movie, and we can safely conclude that 2022 gave us many of them, including ‘Battle on Buka Street’, which we suppose is the perfect film to wrap up 2022.

With only a few glances at the ‘Battle on Buka Street’ trailer, one could easily predict that it would create iconic scenes bound to live rent-free in our minds.

Taking a break from the portrayal of the boujee lifestyle on screens, Battle on Buka Street takes us on an exciting ride to the grassroots.

It reminds us why we enjoyed watching old Nollywood home videos that starred Patience Ozokwor as the wicked mother-in-law.

While the Funke Akindele and Tobi Makinde-directed movie seems like a great contender for the best film of the year, inevitable flaws are embedded in its storyline and execution of scenes.

PLOT

Through a series of flashbacks, we are introduced to a polygamous family where rivalry is the primary order of the day. We see Sola Sobowale’s character engage in heated battles with Tina Mba’s character, mainly due to an unsaid competition for their husband’s affection.

Their rivalry finds its way to their daughters, Yejide (Funke Akindele) and Awele (Mercy Johnson), who always want to outdo each other. Both daughters hated each other, despite getting married on the same day.

Fortunately, with time, Awele relocated, ushering in a brief era of peace for their community. The battle between sisters continues when Awele suddenly arrives in town and opens a food shop in front of Yejide’s amala shop.

The subsequent scenes show the half-sisters trying to prove they are better than each other, leading to sabotage in their restaurants.

However, they both realise the importance of family when an old family member escapes from prison and seeks refuge.

The Good

Battle on Buka street is a solid example of what good scripting looks like. The way the story progresses is impeccable. Exploring the concept of a rivalry that exists across three generations is one thing, but doing it well is very applaudable.

Dialogues and actions were cliches, but the writer took a fresh and more believable approach to doing them.

Cinematography is another feature of the movie to behold. The location of the fictional Buka street gives so much life and meaning. It’s a solid visual representation of places that have become the food havens of Lagos.

The costume and makeup department stepped up their game. The clothes were a firsthand indicator of the personalities of the characters. For example, watching the first clip of Yejide’s friends, one could easily label them as the life of the party.

Finally, the cast does an excellent job of delivering performances that could earn each of them an award. From the patriarch, Nkem Owoh, down to the last grandchildren of the family, the twins, there was an unmistakable synergy among the cast members.

The Bad

While every scene was enjoyable, a small number of them felt dragged. An example is when Awele and Yejide went seeking spiritual help. The events could have played out a lot faster.

There were also moments in the film when the lighting felt slightly off. The actors facial features were sometimes not fully visible and looked like a part was darker than the rest.

Final Verdict

9/10. Watch it. Dear movie producers, this is how you genuinely end the year on a positive note.

The Battle of Buka Street is showing in theatres near you.

Source: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/entertainment/nollywood/572061-movie-review-battle-on-buka-street-is-perfect-film-to-wrap-up-2022.html

Hmmm! God knows best

Buka

Where can I download it?