If you are from an indigenous African traditional home, then you will appreciate the sacrifices people make in the name of tradition and ‘family name’. This is particularly prevalent in royal homes. But if there is anything on earth that can penetrate these stringent traditional believes and customs, then it is LOVE. At least that is what the movie ‘Choose Wisely’ tells us.
‘Choose Wisely’ navigates through the love story of Princess Zara (Sunshine Rosman) and Kenneth’s (Anselm Omen) second born Bryan (Maurice Sam), a kind and compassionate man. Bryan and Zara are in love, but as tradition demands, she has been betrothed to Kenneth’s first born, Liam (Iche Fuego). Though Bryan’s mother is the first wife, Liam, the son of the second wife is two months older. Oma (Oma Nnadi), Liam’s mother will do everything possible to see her son ascend the throne. Bryan’s mother, Matilda (Oby Titus), will not sit aloof and watch as her son’s ‘birth right’ is taken from him.
‘Choose Wisely’ is directed by Iyke Odife and has Ruth Kadiri as its executive producer. Iyke Odife weaves the movie masterfully highlight love, family drama and tradition as the key themes. Considering the plot twists and the satisfaction one stands to derive from the movie, it is not surprising to see Ruth Kadiri as the executive producer. Ruth’s exceptional story telling has gained her a permanent seat in the Nigerian film industry. Her works have gained millions if not billions of views on streaming platform YouTube.
In the opening minutes of the movie, Bryan gets to taste one of the worst behaviors from his stepmother, Oma. This happened when Bryan returns home after seeing Zara (the princess) off. Oma didn’t like the idea of Bryan spending time with the Princess, after all she has betrothed to her son Liam who is seeking greener pastures abroad. The drama became fiercer after the two women of the house of Kenneth begin to fight for what they deem ‘right’ for their sons.
Maurice Sam (played Bryan) and the other actors showcased their talents with spectacular performances. Sunshine Rosman playing Zara in the movie is a delight to watch. You can’t help it but fall in love with the empathetic and compassionate character of Maurice Sam. Bryan was brought to life through the exceptional talents of Maurice Sam. Oby Titus (played Matilda) and Oma Nnadi (played Oma) added a skilled touch to their respective characters. Iche Fuego (played Liam) also came to the party, showing why he deserved that role.
The two-hour long movie is not without shortfalls. There were unnecessary exaggerations that nearly took the beauty of those scenes away. Why will someone order 10 trucks of rice for a welcome party? Probably, it was for a comic relief, yes, but it could have been done in a more effective way. The much-anticipated welcome party never came to pass; hence what was the essence of making the orders? I know some audience like myself were waiting for a big royal wedding between Bryan and Zara. But we were left disappointed probably because of budget constraints.
The act three of the movie took the stakes a notch higher. Zara after a word with the King, her dad, decides to put her responsibility to the kingdom first, relegating her love to the back. Bryan is left broken-hearted after Zara chose Liam over him. For the first time, Liam decides to put his family first, ignoring the evil advise from his mother. By this time, everything is set, the audience are waiting for that moment, when Bryan and Zara will appear in their beautiful traditional attire for the marriage ceremony; but that never happened.
‘Choose Wisely’ deserves your time. The drama unfolds in such a manner that keeps you glued to your seat. This is not your usual kind of love story movie. The cinematography coupled with the energetic performances come together to produce a movie that will give you and your friends a good time.
