Review of Pascal Aka's Double Cross

DIRECTOR:          Pascal Aka

PRODUCERS:      Ama K. Abebrese

                              D. R. Kufuor

WRITER:              D. R. Kufuor

MUSIC:                Roger Ebo

                              Mensa Ansah

                              Obrafuor

CAMERA:            Pascal Aka

                              Prince Dovlo

EDITOR:               Pascal Aka

SOUND:               Bismark Aryee

                              Eugene Lee

                              Benjamin Koppoe

PRODUCTION COMPANY:            DBF Production

                                                            Breakthrough Media Production

CAST

Ama K. Abebrese

John Dumelo

Adjetey Anang

Paulina Oduro

Jasmine Baroudi

Samuel Odoi-Mensah

STORY

Effie Howard (Ama K. Abebrese) a streetwise programmer’s life is dramatically turned upside down when her fiancé Ben Boateng (Adjetey Anang) is convicted and sentenced for a bank robbery he did not commit. Determined to prove his innocence; she carried out her own investigation and finds the actual robber; Danny Frimpong (John Dumelo) a calm and collected sophisticated genius of a thief who has a personal vendetta against the bank he robbed Neptune Bank International. He robbed the bank using urbane technology which enabled him to enter, steal and exit the bank leaving everyone mystified as to how the theft was carried out, no witnesses, no evidence, yet the money is gone.

She meets Danny and threatens him but later offers him a deal; and it’s to rob the bank again with similar methods as the first so the authorities know the actual robber is still out there, then Danny will not lose what matters to him most and the reason for the bank robbery. She plans to relocate with the stolen money and start a new life with Ben when he is acquitted so as to get away from the stigma attached to ex-convicts and their families. They are successful in the robbing the bank, Effie now sets her sights on a jewellery warehouse and she wants Danny to rob it.

With a lot of jewellery and money at stake, each one of them tries to outwit each other with medleys of smart thinking as they plan and execute the robberies. They meticulously plan the robberies, but no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare them for the dangerous enemy, an enemy Effie least expected and never saw coming; an unexpected turn of events on the day of the robbery, what happened? (www.double-crossmovie.com)

Finally, the long awaited art piece of Pascal Aka has been premiered in Ghana. At the mention of Pascal Aka what comes in mind is the name of the famous commercial director & music video turned film director, Michael Bay. Like Michael Bay, he has decided to transition into feature lengths. But the question still remains, ‘Would his transition be a success?’ Can’t tell if it was because of the director or the cast but the turnout at the Accra Mall Silverbird Cinema was very impressive. Not only was the hall full to its maximum capacity but also in attendance were some influential filmmakers and actors: Pascal Amanfo, Ken Attoh, Richard Asante (Kalybos), Niki Samonas, Nabil Meizongo (Producer of ‘Family Album’) and many others.

Ghanaian filmmakers are gradually mastering the drama genre in movies, and this one was no exception. Sustaining humor with the dialogues were expected looking at Pascal Aka’s short films he has directed in the past year. The storyline was interesting but the screenplay did not allow it to flow as it should. It was filled with lots of suspense, very intriguing and fun to watch.

The roles delegated to the cast were interchanged. I am saying this because of John Dumelo’s role. Even though some actors in Ghana have been type cast for many years and would like to try other roles, I believe they should train themselves well enough for it than make a mockery of their craft. Watching Danny Frimpong (John Dumelo) as he robbed the bank was the most amusing part of the film. It was like watching the comic version of Mission Impossible.

If it was really meant to be humorous, then it came out well. If not, then I’m sorry; Pascal Aka must come again. Just imagine a bank robber having the courage to drive his car into the bank premises, put the two security guards at the reserve to sleep (which bank reserve has only two security guards?) and rob the bank safe. Like seriously? Try robbing the Bank of Ghana reserve with such a “silly” tactic and give me your feedback. You will surely be writing me from the Nsawam Prison. He gets 3 out of 10 for his performance.

Ama K. Abebrese role was another questionable character. Even though she played her role well at some point of the film, the exaggerations were overdone. I preferred her soliloquizing rather than when she delivers a dialogue. Her facial expressions were just beautiful and heart-warming to watch. All in all, 6 out of 10 will best describe her acting.

(Must all actors turned producers play the lead in their movies just to further their career? #justsaying)

Adjetey Anang! My goodness, I would have carried him all night if I had met him after the premiere. Like a colleague of mine said, ‘You do not need a lead role to prove your worth as an actor or an actress’. And that was what Adjetey Anang did with his minor role as Ben Boateng. Even though he was on the screen for some few minutes, he grabbed the attention of the audience with his performance.  I will continue to say this even if I build haters along the line, ‘If there is any actor at all in Ghana who is sure to win an Oscar one day for his/her acting skill, it will surely be Adjetey Anang’. (Take it or leave it). 10 out of 10 will describe his performance.

For Pascal Aka’s performance on this flick, I would say that he did his best but could have done better if he had concentrated more on the directing and had left the editing and cinematography to another. Being the director, editor and cinematographer, you would ignore lots of things thinking the magic can be done at bench; and the end result was what we saw for 88minutes. Having seen most of his short films and music videos, he just didn’t bring his A Game. That was why I was humbled and happy when he gave himself a 6/10 even though I expected to hear something a bit lower than that.

The editing was poorly done. No matter the number of shots a director may think he has provided to the editor to use, it is at the discretion of the editor to use the best shots to give the film its meaning. Pascal must have used every shot he had because he was too attached to his shots. In as much as you have the right to cut or use different shots for artistic purposes, it should still make meaning. You can’t be tracking when you want the audience to be concentrating on the dialogue than on the environment. You track to reveal something and yet we keep seeing the same old thing. It is beautiful to track but, is it relevant to that particular scene? If you want more clarifications, watch Steve McQueen’s ‘HUNGER’.

The dissolves were over used. Dissolves are used to show time elapse – you don’t dissolve when you have no new information.

Let me state the obvious since it was noticed by all in attendance. The camera men - Pascal and Prince, ignored the focusing ring. I doubt there was a monitor on location for the director. (Oh! I forgot that the director was handling camera) I still wonder why this film won the Best Cinematography award at the just ended Ghana Movie Awards. Too many shaky shots or let me say handheld shots.

I really enjoyed the music. I hope to acquire a copy in stores soon. The lyrics just fit the story. The sound effects added a lot to the telling of the story.

In watching the film you see its low production value and complete oversight for most of the relevant detail. You don’t expect us to continue supporting local movies when the foreign ones, which give maximum attention to details, are on display for the same price. You would think that an industry that has sleeper fans like ours would do more to change that but it just seems to further worsen a fan’s taste and stereotype for the industry.  I tried my best to overlook the Prison even though I knew very well that it looked like someone’s dining hall. As much as we wish to sell a good image of Ghana, we should not ignore the intelligence of the audience. How can that be a prison! Is that the new prison for people who rob banks? I did my best overlooking the prison but I just couldn’t stand the Bank reserve and the jewelry shop. It was too much to take. Invest more. Build sets when you have to.

I should just take in a deep breath and rest my case. After considering the above points, the Ghana Cinema Review committee has decided to rate ‘Double Cross’ at 40.5% (thanks to the story).

 As Pascal Aka said, “Amanfo produces sugar, I produce pepper”. For those who left the Silverbird Cinemas crying, you must have had too much pepper for the night.

Review of Family Album

Production House: SILVERLINE

Title: FAMILY ALBUM

Year of production: 2014

Director: Pascal Amanfo

Producer: Nabil Meizongo

Executive Producer: Hajia Meizongo

Cast

Christabel Ekeh - Opera

Majid Michel - Greg

Kafui Danku - Mercedes

Ebi Bright - Candy

Eddy Watson- Josiah

Kalsoum Sinare - Regina

Kofi Adjorlolo - Lucas 

SYNOPSIS
After a beautiful marriage between Opera Holbrook (Christabel Ekeh) and Josiah Hayford (Eddie Watson), the worst in the history of marriages takes place at their exceptional reception. With all the charm and glare little did they know that the happiest day in their life could be their worst.

Smiles filled the faces of loved ones, friends and relatives who were present at the beautiful occasion to share in their joy. As the celebration went on, a little action triggered the lock of the Pandora’s Box. Like fuel to the flame, every secret in the lives of the newlyweds and the Holbrook’s family resurfaces. Surprisingly, Regina (Kalsoume Sinare), the mother of Opera, and Lucas (Kofi Adjorlolo), her father, were planning a divorce; and this was revealed when Greg (Majid Michel), Opera's brother, caught Regina making out with Kwame, her ex-lover. Opera on the other hand is also pregnant with Kwame's baby since he thought he could soothe his broken heart by falling for his lover's daughter. Josiah was also having an affair with Opera's best friend, Mercedes.

With all this at hand, both families decide to resolve this by granting Opera her wish of divorcing Josiah since she had no feeling for him.

It may be a writer's imagination, but every family has a secret. What's yours?


The film's statement?

Family Album preaches forgiveness.

This is made evident in Opera’s statement – “it’s hard to forgive, but it’s even harder to hate”.

Lucas forgave his wife despite her infidelity; in the same manner Opera forgave Mercedes and Josiah. 

The central message however is love. 

The film explores the power of love as a means of keeping a successful family. 

Family Album; a success?
Family album is a film set in the home of the Holbrook’s. To sustain interest for that long (screen time) in just that location, the filmmakers deserve commendation.

The message is clear – “family above everything”.


StrengthDialogue made the film. Family Album is a dramatic film and the drama genre depends on dialogue to thrive hence we at Ghana Cinema Review doffing our hats to the scriptwriter. Amidst the tension in the home of the Holbrook’s, the filmmakers found a way of making the audience laugh with the conversation between the gay couple and the obese ladies. Ghanaian filmmakers are getting better with drama and it’s encouraging because I believe that is what we are good at. In a long while, we didn't hear ‘wanna’, ‘gonna’ and the unnecessary slangs; practical dialogues.

Sound was interesting. The music from the live band was great ambience. It helped create the mood as well. It has its problems however; ambience went dead when Greg spoke at the party. It sounded like an untreated ADR. I hope it gets mixed well before it hits the market.

Characterization was on point (minus Eddie Watson- I will address that in a bit). 

Majid Michel never gets it wrong; maybe the roles are no more challenging. I however feel he looked older than the role (playing Christabel Ekeh’s younger brother) and some make up could have fixed that. 

EBI BRIGHT! She has improved tremendously. She was simply amazing: a great improvement from the character we saw in Somewhere in Africa.

FlawsEddie Watson… Not impressive. His facial expression doesn't trigger any emotions whatsoever. Maybe he should consider stage (audience will be too far and his body language will be just fine).

Basics of editing – you don’t cut from a medium shot to another medium shot. A number of jump cuts were visually unpleasant.

And the cinematography! At some point, I asked if it was a ‘depth of field’ practice (I guess the cameraman was experimenting with the focus). The cinematographer took every opportunity to rack focus and it took way too long for the dominant figure to get into focus. It wasn't necessary. Too many out of focus shots.

Kwame’s beard. At some point, it looked as though it had been glued to his face.

The film could have ended when Greg took the picture of the family. The last shot didn’t bring any new information.

Conclusion

All the same, Family Album is a very interesting film – great screenplay, nice costumes, beautiful location and excellent delivery. 

Imagine Kofi Adjorlolo pleading with a lady; priceless moment.

Its message is a positive one; preaching forgiveness and the importance of family.

GCR Rating: 70.5%

Review of 'DEVIL IN A DRESS'

DIRECTOR: Pascal  Amanfo
STORY & SCREENPLAY: Pascal Amanfo
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: ABC Pictures
PRODUCER: Kafui Danku
STARRING: Majid Michel, Kafui Danku, Roselyn Ngissah, Uti Nwachukwu, Pascal  Amanfo, Emmanuel Armah, Kalsoum Sinare, and many others.

I have always wished to attend a premiere or watch a film at the cinema before it comes out on DVD, but I am mostly stopped by the bad publicity that i mostly receive from friends who mostly return with regrets. For the premiere of 'Devil in a dress', the publicity from viewers was a bit overwhelming so i decided to go and watch. Like 'House of Gold', 'Devil in a dress' is one film you will watch over and over again without noticing the passage of time. From the very first scene to the last scene, you may end up showing signs of lunacy. The film is just HILARIOUS. I sat down for 100mins without yawning or regretting the time spent at the cinema.

There was nothing extra ordinary about the storyline since it is the everyday Frank Rajah, Shirley Frimpong-Manso stories (True talk). 'Three bad boys (Majid, Uti and Kweku) who get played by a 'sophisticated hustler' (Kafui), as she calls herself in the opening scene of the film after drugging a client' (Ben Brako). The opening scene introduced a brilliant and good looking sugar daddy played by Ben Brako. This gave it a new twist as it is always being played by Kofi Adjorlolo.

"Pascal Amanfo, the next scene please"
I felt Pascal was using this film to advertise his capabilities to other movie producers. His name was over-used. Pascal this, Pascal that! (Its just too much).


"Its a pool bar not a pimp center"
"A glass of Chapman can't buy a second of my time"
"If you drown i promise to go on a date with your ghost" 
After watching 'Single and Married', which was also directed by Pascal Amanfo, i will always praise the professionalism of the actors. Watching the film, one will feel he/she is watching a reality show than a staged craft. The characters were so real and acted to their utmost best. I am always impressed with the directing of the characters than the crew (poor camera works etc). Kafui Danku's characterization differed when she met Majid, Uti and Kweku (this is a sign of maturity). Kafui had so much fun in the film that she at a point over-acted when narrating (Just saying).


"You are at the wrong place at the right time"
"We were flying from London to the UK"
 Its been a while for some Ghanaians who have for some years missed their great television talent, "Dada Boat". Hon. Mickey Osei Berkoe did his magic again for the 10mins he spent on the screen. He absolutely brought his character to life.Mickey has surely taken his act to the next level.


I have spoken extensively about the humor in this film and its storyline, which is of much interest to many of us. But my issue this time has to do with the photography. The camera works was a total disaster for a director like Pascal Amanfo, who is noted for great works. I am thinking the team wanted to beat time for the March 6th premiere. If time and resources can be managed effectively to produce quality than quantity, why not do so? Many praise Kwaw Ansah, Shirley Frimpong-Manso and Leila Djansi not because they have just good stories and much humor in their stories, but because they spend the needed time to produce quality than quantity. And yet we blame kumasi films for bad pictures when a 'renowned' director like Pascal Amanfo is doing similar.

Lets invest to produce quality than quantity.

GCR therefore rates 'DEVIL IN A DRESS' at 5/10.

Review of "Mr and Mrs"

Directed by Ikechukwu Onyeka
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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Review of 'SINGLE 6'

Title: SINGLE 6
Directed by: Pascal Amanfo
Executive Producer: Abdul Salam Mumuni
Associate Producers: Roger Quartey / Mohammed Yaro
Story by: Abdul Salam Mumuni
Screenplay: Pascal Amanfo
Editor: Enoch Obiri Opoku
Director of Photography: Adams Umar
Sound Engineer: Andy Frimpong Stephen
Starring: Ebi Bright, Yvonne Okoro, Mzbell, Zynell Lydia Zuh, Beverly Afoglo, Ciara Zita Galega etc.

                                                         MEMORABLE QUOTES
'I can imagine the world without a creature called man'.
'God lives here? You bet!'
'You sure can sell a man his casket'
'She is lying. Lying about what?Can't you see what she is about to say?'
'How can you easily get pregnant in this modern day?'


STORY: A group of beautiful, hardworking but single ladies strive to find happiness in men who are afraid to commit. This film talks a lot about commitment on the side of men, and the obsessive nature of some ladies to get married.


The opening shots of the film was a bit welcoming as the director was able to show us the busy streets of Accra than going ahead to tell the story as many do. Even though the acting of the supposed 15yrs old girl was poor, somehow the narrator's sweet (but not so sexy) voice was my driving force to continue watching. I do not rate Yvonne Okoro as my best actress just  because i want to, she actually deserves it. The gentleman was a little tensed but she played her role at that instance to the best of her ability. (Her smile alone got my heart melting like ice...lol)

I surely do know some police officers are dramatic, but why exaggerate such acts of the police? A police man has a clear shot of the culprit yet stands there for him to think. What about his legs? (Films are fiction but, it does not mean we should exaggerate) Why request for back-up when after 'a' person? The army will surely be the next resort when after a 'gang' one day. I actually did enjoy the numerous racking of focus all the same.

Another remarkable work of the editor was the use of dialogue to cut to the next scene. When the lady officer retorted 'that was close', the next scene had Zynell asking 'how close?' And that shows the effort of the editor and director to plan ahead.

We surely want to step out of the box and do some extra ordinary things every now and then as filmmakers, but some of these things end up creating a different image of the citizens in the country or continent at large. How can surgeons be chit-chatting over a patient when they are to concentrate on the job at hand? The blood and suppose intestine shot was impressive; but the other sends a whole different message about our medical practitioners.

I don't actual discuss the dialogue in these films, but i noticed a direct translation at a point. 'Can't you see what she is about to say?' (feel free to share the original translation)

We may as well want to be like the whites or copy some of their 'useless' ethics, but this can be done with some degree of maturity. Which well brought up Ghanaian christian will tell a pastor to 'shut the fuck up'? Our cultural values shouldn't be trampled upon by our idea of 'creativity'.

The idea of creating reality in our movies have become a reason for nudity in our films today. Why show the buttocks of Eddy? Would the story have been incomplete without it? (Let's not forget the essence of nudity even though it is a costume in film making)

So, even if the room lacked a source of ventilation, why sweat profusely during sex without a drop of sweat from the lady? (Then the character was a 'sex-sweater'...lol) Another amusing thing i have noticed in our films is the use of beach scenes when people fall in love. (Like seriously?) What was the director trying to achieve with Mzbell dancing over Timothy? (That was so comical) As an advice, Mzbell should keep to singing. (Her acting wasn't the best...truly!)

The acting of Yvonne's daughter is rear on the screens of Ghana. I was able to read into the character she was playing. Are men really scared to commit? (Guess the majority describes the whole) Are we teaching our youths to abort when pregnant? I reserve my comment on the exaggerated character of Pascal. (I enjoyed his acting though)

Ghana Cinema Review rates 'Single 6' at 6/10.

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Review of 'Single and Married'

TITLE: Single and Married
GENRE: Drama
DIRECTOR: Pascal Amanfo
PRODUCER: Yvonne Nelson
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Media Ghana
STORY/SCREENPLAY: Pascal Amanfo
EDITOR/COLORIST: Okey Benson
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Kwame Awuah
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Liebe Edem Ametewee
COSTUMIER: Gloria Ogwu
MAKE-UP: Lydia Ashitey
STARRING: Yvonne Nelson, Nadia Buari, Kofi Adjorlolo, Chris Attoh, Tana Adelana, Jane Awindor, Tiffany, Kweku Elliot, Eddy Watson and many others.

MEMORABLE QUOTES

• "Every player comes to a point where they take off their boots and hang their boots".
• "You make it sound like a jail term. Marriage can't be that difficult, is it?"

Like the every day single and marital films we see on our screens, 'Single and Married' gives a whole different twist as the audience is not just entertained, but educated on both lives - being single and married. Watching this film as a single man looking for a potential wife, i had several points to keep in mind since marriage is and will never be like the many past years of dating several women. This is the stage in life where a man/woman will forever live with that 'special' man/lady for the rest of his/her life.

The opening graphics, the use of the flowers, sent the first message of the film being a romantic comedy. Okey Benson is one editor i admire so much after following his style of edit for some time now. The split screen that was used during the phone call between Chris and Yvonne was more of an error to me than a style. (Being very sincere). It actually worked at the scene where Nadia called Kweku. I have kept this for some time now; 'How many times will we keep using the 'Hollywood' style of proposal?' It is just too much. Pascal could have created something better than the every day 'cloning' of some western culture as a close friend of mine will say. The only thing i admire about that scene is Eddy Watson's 'are you okay?' look as he watched Chris propose to Yvonne.

Okey took me off the hook again when he used sound to heighten mood as he does. As Kweku spoke to encourage Chris for his bold step, the cool music in the background added to the speech until he(Okey) broke it off with a whining sound before Eddy laughed. This showed the seriousness of the speech as the cool music played, but felt stupid in the mind of Eddy as a hip sound accompanied his laughter. (Million gun salute)

The scene where Nadia, Tana and Yvonne went for the wedding gown shopping looked so real than an act since we do see those kind of action from ladies as they prepare for their wedding. This i thought was the first time i experienced real life on screen than acting - which truly defines acting on the part of actors. The marvelous introduction of Anita Erskine (My favorite in this film) was a different touch to the story. Knowing her to be very eloquent and beautiful, her acting skill and the role of a narrator was done to perfection (in my opinion). She did not only act to her best but also spiced the screen with her eloquence. (Already falling for you)

At Efya's apartment, the constant effort of the camera man to adjust his lens as Chris sat in front of the mirror and later stood on his feet, was a bit distracting to the eye even though i later accepted it as a style. (Style - a suppose mistake done repeatedly). Even though Chris played the role of a cheating husband very well, i believe the combination of himself and Yvonne was the best ever. (They should try tying the knot in real life).    

On the other hand, Kweku Elliot did his very best in expressing the needs of some men as he verbally battled it out with Nadia in the bedroom after she refused to give him some 'sex' time as her husband. For Tiffany, the lady was her best. I would prefer to see her as an actress than a musician even though she is doing well in the music industry. The thought of Kofi Adjorlolo in the film any time i recall his bedroom sex scene with Tana only makes me laugh. It makes me imagine a 10 year old promising a 30 year old lady good sex. (Can you imagine).

Apart from the actors playing their specific roles to the best of their abilities, the film is more than a counseling session for married couples and singles. At Ghana Cinema review, we award this good work with a 8.5/10 score.

Great work Pascal Amanfo and crew.

Review of "House of Gold"

TITLE: House of Gold

GENRE: Drama/Comedy

DIRECTOR: Pascal Amanfo

STORY/SCREENPLAY: Pascal Amanfo

PRODUCER: Yvonne Nelson

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Eugene Brown Tagbor

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Media Ghana

PRODUCTION MANAGER: Liebe Edem Ametewee

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Valce Dakup

POST PRODUCTION: Perfect Image Studios

EDITOR/GRAPHICS: Okey Benson

STARRING: Majid Michel, Yvonne Nelson, Luckie Lawson, Eddie Watson Jnr, Omawumi Megbele, Francis Odega, Dream Debo, Amatobea Dodoo, Emefa Tse, Mercy Chinwo, Ice Prince Zamani, Sandra Ankobia and many others.

For a director and writer like Pascal Amanfo, I was really disappointed after watching the star-studded well-advertised House of Gold. As I said, most of our directors adapt without considering the cultural ethics of the people. Being a bad habit among these creative people, it has caused them not to tap into their inner creativity. The latest among this bad habit can be seen in House of Gold which may have been adapted from Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion. It may have been twisted to look different but looking at the story critically, one will notice the similarities both in story, language, culture and others. I surely do not have problems with adaptations of stories, but when the cultural ethics of the people are ignored, that is where I get 'pissed'.

With the establishing of characters in the movie, I got to know Majid Michel as a pilot, Jamal and his wife Jasmine having marital problems, Yvonne Nelson as a Model, Henry as a book worm, Omawumi as a business woman and Umar being gay. Now, such characterization got me confused as I did not understand the bases for it; whether it was occupational, relational complications, intellect or lifestyle. 

With the general acting skill of the actors, I will discuss some specific characters based on their role. The first will be Luckie Lawson. She may have been established as a frustrated housewife, but that cannot be a reason to exaggerate her act. As the winner of the ‘Spirited Actor’ reality show, which saw the likes of Umar, I was really disappointed with her act. She definitely forgot the fact that a film is a visual representation of real life. The second will be Yvonne Nelson. The problem of over-confidence or will I call it over-complacency was clearly seen in her actions. This is because she probably thought she was doing her very best when actually she was doing her worst. The third will be Umar. For his first time appearance on screen after the ‘Spirited Actor’ reality show, I will say he took his lessons seriously. His first appearance and the many other scenes made me believe he was gay; looking careful at the way he walked and spoke. For the others, it was okay or manageable if I may say.

I will definitely not forget to mention the issue of product placement. As I said, ‘if the company isn’t sponsoring, do not advertise’. Many products ranging from phones, desktops, cars and the many others were placed without any kind of appreciation. Not to mention the fact that they were foreign, none of these companies can be said to have contributed either in cash or kind. We can surely advertise products, but ignoring those within is surely an insult to our local entrepreneurs.

I was impressed with the inclusion of French speaking characters like Jamal and Jasmine who made the movie entertaining with their continuous mixture of the languages (English and French), not forgetting the unnecessary insults (Was it to mean French speakers, especially those from Cameroun, like to insult?). For the photo shoot of Yvonne Nelson, I did not only hate the pictures but also the voice effects (noise) added to seem like someone talking to her (total nuisance). I may not have experienced the feel of traveling in a plane, but to deceive me by using sound effects of a commercial plane when actually it was a mini-plane, really felt insulting (Does the plane lack air hostesses or was it empty the entire journey?). When Jamal was welcomed home by Barrister Paula, she made mention of Cameroon, the hometown of Jamal that was never established (a simple room filled with French speakers does not establish their nationality). With the bedroom scene where Luckie and Sandra were discussing Freddie (Majid), the dialogue only belittled ladies or women in general. It described an African lady as a ‘whore’ (as Sandra said), desperate and unfaithful (as played by Luckie); and we blame the whites for the wrong representation of us, when our medium of communication sends that openly through our movies. The two scenes after kept me laughing; Odega perfectly took viewers out of their stress and misrepresentation (‘tu-a-l3’, ‘take am’ as he says) (Imagine one smelling like the mixture of camphor and incense…lol). The use of words like fuck, bitch, hell, damn and the likes was so rampant that I felt it was an American gangster movie than a Ghanaian (was the film censored?). For the stereotyped character of kids of Rich men being arrogant, it was over exaggerated with the act of the teenage girl ('my' driver would have slapped her in 'my' case). We may be welcoming this kind of attitude in our homes if we keep showing this kind of characters to our wards. What impressed me also was the work of the editor, especially the scoring of the music and numerous sound effects. The use of the ‘kukere’ beat to match up the singing of Odega was creatively sound. Another observation is the fact that we are slowly accepting gays into the community through our movies, and from the movie one may find it as a way of empowering gays to accept themselves for who they are by standing proud to tell their relations and later the world. For the introduction of Ice Prince, it was like an ad for some designers. Do we have a problem with our local names? Why the use of such foreign names in the film? If we are not proud of who we are, who will be?

From the office of the Ghana Cinema Review, we will give it a 5/10 general rating. I will recommend this movie for your relaxation; parental guidance is advised.