‘Battle on Buka Street’ is perfect film to wrap up 2022

Movie title: Battle on Buka street

Publication date: December 16, 2022

Actors: Funke Akindele, Tina Mba, Nkem Owoh, Mercy Johnson, Sola Sobowale, Mike Afolarin

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Directors: Funke Akindele and Tobi Makinde

What do you get when Funke Akindele does a project on polygamous family members? Simple; A good movie called Battle on Buka street.

Everyone loves a good dramatic movie, and we can safely conclude that 2022 gave us plenty of them, including ‘Battle on Buka Street’, which is the perfect movie to end 2022 with.

With just a few glances at the ‘Battle on Buka Street’ trailer, one could easily predict that it would conjure up iconic scenes of rent-free living in our minds.

Taking a break from the on-screen portrayal of the boujee lifestyle, Battle on Buka Street takes us on a thrilling ride to the villages.

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It reminds us why we enjoyed watching old Nollywood home videos starring Patience Ozokwor as the evil mother-in-law.

Meanwhile Funke Akindele and the movie directed by Tobi Makinde looks like a great contender for the best movie of the year, inevitable flaws are embedded in its story and scene execution.

The land

Through a series of flashbacks, we are introduced to a polygamous family dominated by rivalry. We see Sola Sobowale’s character engage in a heated battle with Tina Mba’s character, mainly due to their unspoken competition for her husband’s affections.

Their rivalry finds its way to their daughters, Yejide (Funke Akindele) and Awele (Mercy Johnson), who always want to outdo each other. Both daughters hated each other, even though they were married on the same day.

Fortunately, in time, Awele was relocated, ushering in a brief era of peace for his community. The fight between the sisters continues when Awele suddenly arrives in town and opens a grocery store in front of Yejide’s amala shop.

In the following scenes, the half-sisters try to prove that they are better than each other, and cause sabotage in their restaurants.

However, the two realize the importance of family when an old family member escapes from prison and seeks refuge.

good

Buka Street Battle is a solid example of what a good script looks like. The way the story progresses is perfect. Exploring the concept of a rivalry spanning three generations is one thing, but doing it right is highly commendable.

The dialogues and actions were cliche, but the writer took a fresh and more believable approach to make them.

Cinematography is another feature of the film. The location of the fictional Buka street gives it so much life and meaning. It is a strong visual representation of the places that have become food paradises in Lagos.

The costume and make-up department stepped up their game. The clothes were an indicator of the personalities of the characters. For example, looking at the first clip of Yejide’s friends, he could easily be labeled as the life of the party.

Finally, the cast does an excellent job of delivering award-winning performances from each of them. From patriarch Nkem Owoh to the last grandchildren in the family, the twins, the synergy between the cast was unmistakable.

Bad

While all the scenes were enjoyable, a small number of them felt dragged. An example is when Awele and Yejide went to seek spiritual help. Events could have played out much faster.

There were also moments in the film where the lighting was a little off. The facial features of the actors were sometimes not fully visible and one part seemed to be darker than the rest.

The Last Judgment

9/10 See it Dear filmmakers, this is how you end the year on a really positive note.

The Battle of Buka Street is showing in theaters near you.