Complicated is a movie directed by Emma Anyaka who guides us through the life struggles Regina (Moyo Lawal) a single mother who has lost touch with love goes through. Regina will do everything in her power to take care of Adora (Angel Onyi Unigwe) her daughter who obviously misses the presence of a father in her life.
The movie opens with a scene where Charles walks in on Amanda and Desmond in bed. Not much is heard of that incident until the final act of the movie. Some will argue that it is a strategic way of keeping the audience in suspends. But, it could also be what will switch off the interest of viewers. Later in the final act, everything becomes clear, Desmond, Kelvin and Charles are friends. And Amanda played by Onyii Alex is Kelvin’s fiancé. This revelation made us appreciate why Charles dislikes Desmond (TonyMonjaro) throughout the duration of the movie.
Regina works for Desmond as an accountant, as well as taking care of her 15 years old daughter. Regina has not been paid for two months and it is affecting her in providing for her daughter. But Desmond will not pay her until he gets what he wants. After Regina rejects a relationship proposal from Desmond, her life at the workplace became a living hell. Adora, Regina’s daughter has a solution, she introduce her mother to Kelvin (Ken Erics), a man who gave her a ride home. Adora wants to see her mother happy, but Regina will not want to face another love disappointed. Kelvin, through Adora finally manages to get Regina to fall for him. Everything was fine until Amanda comes into the picture.
The story which was written by Emma Anyaka and Fehisyao Damilola lacks in character development. Audience will not be able to appreciate some of the characters because they do not know much about them. For instance, all we know about Kelvin is that he is a businessman. Why isn’t he like his friends? What is driving him?, are some of the questions that need answers. One could argue that the movie was directed that way because of budget constraints. That is fair, but it is still a movie, the audience have to know the characters if they will side with them.
Complicated comes with moments where audience will pause the movie to digest what just happened. Some subplot introductions take the audience by surprise. That is a good thing if those subplots contribute to the entire meaning of the movie. At one point, Regina receives Kelvin into her home happily, and in another point Regina is furious for seeing Kelvin in her house.
The performances of the actors were somewhat good. Ken Erics handled his lines very well proving that he has been in the business for sometime. Angel Onyi Unigwe’s character also delivered her lines with ease. She makes you fall in love with her character. There were also some sharp cuts between scenes that can be sometimes annoying. Not to mention the lighting issues, high and low lights within the same scenes.
All in all, Complicated deserves your time. You can stream it now on Showmax.
