I am actually not in the mood to write but i must make my comments quickly before the rush begins and everyone becomes a film authority; strike while the iron is hot yes? Ok so let’s go!
Bolanle Austen Peters’ HOUSE OF GA’A actually turned out to be nothing i expected really because the trailer did not do enough justice to the film itself. When i saw the trailer and the leather skin war clothes which the warriors were costumed in (which i still don’t agree with), i did a quick mental write-off of the film as just another of those attempts at telling historical stories so imagine my surprise when it turned out not to be, at least according to my opinion.
‘Boo l’aya o sika, boo ranti iku Ga’a, o sooto’ is a popular proverb among the Yoruba people and the fil House of Ga’a did well in the graphic illustration of that trepidation this statement is intended to cause as a deterring statement for wickedness so I say that this one came thematically correct although there were certain narratives in the plot line that took a slightly different turn and deviated from the story we know especially from Adebayo Faleti’s version which is the most popular one until now. I have however learnt not to enter story disputes because story narratives depends on the paradigm of who told you the tale and the extent of knowledge available to the person or the amount of information recoverable from memory recall and/or empirical data available so in effect, stories on same subjects will continue to differ till the end of time as long as there are perspectives and sentiments therefore, it is alright to hold on to your own belief and allow the other person to hold on to his or hers.
Now, let’s talk about the Jagun Femi Branch in the title character of Bashorun Ga’a; i want to scream wow! Wow! Wow! Femi Branch deserves another chieftaincy title for this performance and I forsee many scripts in his mail after this which means plenty money in his account so uncle Femi, for hearing dey o. i particularly liked the Bashorun Ga’a’s private mourning scene after her lost one his sons and one other wounded in a staged fight; it was intense and showed Femi Branch’s acting dexterity and range, i felt like stretching my hand into the screen and tell him sorry just like my almost two year old daughter, Omokorewa will tell me “Dada, sooorry” with a very somber face when she perceives i am in one kind of pain or the other. He was the role and the role was him plus his carriage was out of this world although I found the shouting in the in-chamber scene with the Zainab character a tad bit unnecessary and over the cliff. I felt he could have sent her out more calmly which would have suited the Ga’a character more as he wasn’t an impulsive talker but extremely strategic with a large capacity for patience till it’s the right time for revenge as he displayed with Alaafin Labisi but on the whole, Femi Branch nailed it, killed it and brought it home. It was refreshing to see Funke Akindele in a character that didn’t look anything like the Jennifer or SHE character because from where i stand, i conclude that her big screen career has been dotted by characters who look and sound alike. Now before you disagree, do a mental flip through her roles. Niyi Johnson also blew my heart away with his performance as Alaafin Abiodun and he gladdened my heart with his performance.
As usual, the director took some liberties with the indices of production design especially with costumes and architecture, since I wasn’t born then anyway, i cannot argue how correct or incorrect these designs are but in the general context of the picture look and feel, the entire concept came together nicely and made for a pleasant watch from top to bottom so the discussions on whatever liberties Bolanle Austen Peters took with these components is not necessary for me because they all locked into the film flow and final material.
The picture has a rustic colour grade look and feel but it gives off as intentional so there’s not much colours but what it lacks in colours, it compensates for in spectacle; the spectacle in this film gladdens my heart. The entire film was rich from beginning till end with the whole total theatre flow of music, dance, chants, acrobatics and magic – a total African performance potpourri.
One factor I liked very much was the Producer and director recognizing that this kind of film was not her strength thus her decision to reach out to Femi Adebayo and Ibrahim Chatta are Consulting Producers; this is a good move that every producer especially Yoruba film genre producers should learn from; do not jump into something that is not your area of strengths without seeking help and have the good sense to enter collaborations to cover your weaknesses, it is not a sin. In any case, the HOUSE OF GA’A is one spectacle of gladness which is worth the watch if you excuse the little slips here and there.
PS: I might come back to say more!
Credit: Tolu Fagbure
