I came across Where Love Lives, Bimbo Ademoye‘s latest film, via TikTok. The clip that caught my attention featured Bimbo as a new arrival in a gated neighbourhood, facing off against three resident women who have come to “welcome” her. What followed was verbal volleyball: sharp barbs, thinly veiled insults, and a clear attempt at marking territory.
I was intrigued enough that the next morning, I sat down to watch, cautiously optimistic.
The film opens with a couple moving out of their home while three women stand across the street, champagne flutes in hand, openly gloating. These women, Queen Dekan (Chioma Nwosu), Imade (Osas Ighodaro), and Eno (Emem Udonquak), are collectively known as the Big Three. They clink glasses in celebration. The schadenfreude is unmistakable.
Enter Ekene (Uzor Arukwe) and Demilade Okechukwu (Bimbo Ademoye). Newly arrived from Alaba, newly wealthy, newly homeowners. Demilade is ecstatic about the move and eager for them to act in a manner befitting their new status. Ekene is loud, rough around the edges, and blissfully unaware of the social codes governing their new environment. Demilade wants him to match the neighbourhood’s polish and signal their upward mobility.
The Big Three arrive unannounced almost immediately. This leads to the TikTok scene that drew me in, a sparring match of words that ends with Demilade dismissing them with faux politeness before retreating indoors. From that moment on, she becomes a disruption to the existing order, particularly to Queen, the neighbourhood’s reigning alpha.
When elections for the residents’ association president arise, the rivalry between Demilade and Queen takes centre stage. Queen is used to being in control. She has social capital, longevity in the estate, and a domineering presence that has kept challengers in check. Demilade has spark, composure and refuses to be cowed. Their dynamic propels much of the film.
Parallel to this is Demilade’s marriage. Ekene is a wealthy Igbo businessman whose lack of refinement causes his wife embarrassment. He yells when he speaks, dresses tackily, and misses social cues entirely. Yet he is also deeply kind and devoted. He calls her Nwanyi Oma. She calls him Obim. Their affection is sincere and disarming, reminiscent of Gomez’s adoration of Morticia Addams.
Gregory, a single man who sprinkles gratuitous French into conversation, complicates things. Whether he is a native speaker or simply posturing is unclear. What is clear is that his friendliness feels performative. Demilade meets him on a morning run, and soon they are running together, texting, and hanging out casually. He offers neighbourhood gossip and generous compliments.
Demilade does not actively encourage him, but she does not firmly shut him down either. Worse, she hides the relationship from her husband. The film initially suggests that infidelity will be the central marital conflict, but this thread is resolved quickly. Instead, the real rupture comes when Ekene loses everything. Their wealth evaporates, and with it many of Demilade’s comforts. She grows cold and distant, unwilling to accept their new reality. The film asks whether her love is rooted in the man himself or in what his money afforded her.
The Big Three are not written as caricatures. Queen, while abrasive, has dimension. Imade has a subplot involving blackmail. Eno’s storyline revolves around fertility struggles and a possibly unfaithful husband, though her character feels the least developed. Whether due to writing or performance, she fades more easily into the background.
The film is undeniably cheesy at times. Gregory’s dialogue in particular veers into eye-roll territory. The runtime does it no favours either. At two hours and twenty-six minutes, it drags toward the end, a familiar issue in many Nollywood productions. The sound engineering is also uneven. At times, the audio resembles a faulty pair of earphones, with audible mic bumps breaking immersion.
Still, Where Love Lives is funny and largely enjoyable. Every time Demilade’s inner Alaba girl surfaced, I found myself cheering, because it always led to a well-deserved dressing down. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys a strong lead shaking up the status quo.
The post REVIEW: Bimbo Ademoye’s Where Love Lives explores social class, performance, and love appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.
from Nigerian Entertainment Today https://ift.tt/NVAGutz
via IFTTT
Post a Comment