Starring: Nse Ikpe Etim, Benjamin Joseph, Barbara Sokey, Thelma Okodua, Paul Apel, Chioma Nwosu etc
The title looked a little off when it was introduced, one will think it is an adaptation of the hollywood blockbuster - Mr and Mrs Smith. It makes meaning through out the film as you are introduced to the life of two beautiful couples. (nothing to do with guns or assassination).
The early scene introduces Mrs Susan Abbah (Nse Ikpe Etim) preparing supper for her husband (Benjamin Joseph), who has returned from work exhausted. Making a scene about his supper not being ready and it interrupting his agenda for the rest of the day, his wife's explanation was like adding salt to injury. Even when she serves his food at the dinning hall, he continues to complain about her inefficiency as a house wife since he does all the working to keep food in the house. The story not only discusses the problems some women face in their marriages in the name of love, but also the ideology of some men about marriage - 'marrying a woman out of pity because of their social status'. When Kenneth Abbah (Benjamin Joseph) refused to have his breakfast before going to work the next day, it reminded me of a scene in Shirley Frimpong's 'Scorned', where Chris Attoh's character refused to have breakfast prepared by Lydia Forson. And that being from a woman's perspective, tells the viewer the many challenges some suppose 'happily married women' go through. The role of a housewife is really hectic for Mrs Susan Abbah as she has to combine house chores and her sexual duty to Mr. Ken Abbah, even when she is exhausted. Sex for Mrs. Susan Abbah is more of a duty than a pleasurably act between herself and husband. And this is the true definition of 'rape' in marriages.
There is a contrast to the lifestyle or ideology of marriage of Mr and Mrs Abbah as we are introduced to the marriage story of Charles and Linda, who are the total opposite of the Abbahs. Apart from Linda being a workaholic wife who spends most of her time at the office and lesser time at home with her husband, she also ignores the little duties of wives that draws them closer to their husbands - SEX and COMPANIONSHIP. Even though Charles is an understanding husband who is ready to push his wife to the very top of the success ladder, these little mistakes on the side of his wife becomes his ultimate reason to find pleasure in the bosom of his househelp. Charles didn't show all that hurt since he was surely getting lots of satisfaction from his maid. Linda on the other hand thought she had her husband at the exact spot she has had in mind ever since they both got married. As Mrs Susan Abbah said, 'when a man is not getting his due, he's definitely tapping it somewhere'.
One will end up complaining about the many marital films being produced in West Africa (Ghana and Nigeria especially), but that shouldn't be the issue since this and many others are the significant issues our films as Africans should be discussing. This is because the culture in the many African countries has refused to give a voice to women in marriages all in the name of 'superiority, respect and love'. And this is slowly eating into the minds of the young couples today. We are to keep our culture as Africans, but not when it is slowly causing more harm than good.
One thing i admire about the work of the director is his decency in the portrayal of the sexual affair between Charles and Kate, his house-help. The many films i have watched in Ghana and from Nigeria end up showing some sensitive parts of the lady or man. For the few shots (three to be exact) the editor put together when Linda walked into her matrimonial room with a bottle of wine, the viewer is able to read meaning into the scene. He didn't need many shots for the viewer to understand.
If i am to comment on the entire technical work on the part of the crew, i may end up writing a lecture book for filmmakers.
GCR therefore rates 'Mr and Mrs' at 8.5/10.
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