After a bout of reading my eyes sore, I closed my book and fell into a dreamless sleep. When I woke up, I decided against further reading to avoid brain combustion and opted to see a movie instead. I decided after perusing Netflix a bit to see The Black Book. A movie that has been talked about by not just Nigerians but citizens of other countries as well, and that too in mostly positive light. So, I clicked on the film and prepared myself to be dazzled.
The Black Book (2023)
This movie released in September 2023 is a Nollywood Action/Thriller film, produced and directed by Editi Effiong, with an incorporated cast of Nollywood’s big actors like Richard Mofe-Damijo(RMD), Ireti Doyle, Shaffy Bello, etc.
With a $1 million budget, it centres on the socio-political culture of Nigeria where there is a constant cry for justice, a thirst for revenge, and the corruption that has eaten deep into the political sector of Nigeria, where for a long time now, the Rule of Law has been long abolished. From the shores of Lagos to Kaduna, a Black Book with detailed documentation of the crimes of the “Big Men” exists that may upset the socio-political pyramid of Nigeria.
Synopsis
The Black Book begins its plot when Professor Craig, the CEO of a renowned oil company who also doubles as a freedom and corruption fighter, has her husband and infant kidnapped and potentially killed by a higher power as a counterattack for revealing the dark secrets and corrupt vices in the ministry.
To avert the spotlight from their direction and prevent further investigation, the plotters pin the kidnap and dear of Mrs. Craig’s family on an innocent Damilola Edima, the son of Paul Edima who was formerly a core member of the gang that traded in drug trafficking and carried out the dirty jobs of General Issa, a drug lord, and one of the few men who are said to be above the law.
But the plotters hadn’t realized whose son they had killed at this time and when they do, it’s far too late. Paul Edima who had abandoned his hitman lifestyle and handed the Black Book to the General twenty-four years before, to become a deacon, abandons his deaconship after the death of his son and is sworn to retrieve the Black Book, clears his son’s name and wreak havoc on the perpetrators of his son’s death.
Fatefully, he encounters Victoria Kalu, an upcoming journalist who is more intertwined with his past than he is initially aware of. With the looming threat of General’s men after him, Paul Edima together with Victoria, brave the storms to restore justice and present a new future for Nigeria’s civilians.
Review and Rating
My first thought as I began this film and got the general storyline was that it gave off John Wick vibes, mainly because of the whole death and revenge scheme. But I appreciated this movie a lot because it incorporated the prevalent social vices of Nigeria which for a long time has involved the silencing of the underlings to cover up the dirty secrets of the powers that be. So, it was truly relatable since it hit so close to home.
However, there were a few things that prevented this film from reaching the heights that qualify it as stellar in my opinion. First was the main lead. I feel that someone other than RMD would have better interpreted the role. Don’t get me wrong, he is an exceptional actor but he’s always been tailored to calmer, classier roles. So, even though it was clear that he gave it his all, I maintain that some parts of his scenes came out forced because it was just not a good role for him.
The incorporation of many big names in a single movie has always left me sceptical, especially in a thriller, because who do you leave and who do you throw away? But that wasn’t my problem, it was the fact that a few of them were made to play mediocre roles and a lot of other actors were incorporated that soon vanished. I believe that for a seemingly important character to be introduced in a dramatic work, they should have a distinct role. But when characters who by virtue of the plot should have lasted a little longer in the film, were promptly killed, it took away something essential from the overall structure of the film.
Finally were the plot inconsistencies. I’m not sure when the script shifted from a man desperate to avenge his son’s death to a man trying to redeem himself to a lady who his past doings greatly affected her future. There were a lot of happenings that we should have been made to know the reason behind it, rather, we were left to merely assume what must have happened. With so many irregularities in between and the injection of a particular line that made it more Hollywood-like and rather unrealistic, it proved to be a rather forgettable movie.
All in all, I still think this movie has a great lesson to share with Africans in general because the storyline is strong and has a depth that we can all benefit from since it looks into real-life matters that many of us are too scared to confront. I give it a 6.7/10. It’s not an award-winning film, but it’s still nice in its own right.
Jhymi🖤
Thumbnail is a screenshot from the movie.
