Producer: Ijeoma Grace Agu
Director: Belinda Yanga
Screenplay: Jennifer Nkem Ezeanya
Cast: Ijeoma Grace Agu, Kelechi Udegbe, Efa Iwara, Eloho Festus and Sophie Alakija
If the name of a film determines if you watch it or not, “Love in the time of Kekes” might be a film you will skip while going through Iroko TV’s catalogue. If you skip it, you will be missing on good humor and quite an interesting story line.
In 2017 “Picture Perfect” was released, and for many, it is one of the really good films of that year. The writing was excellent and quite original. “Love in the time of Keke” does almost the same thing by having a love story between an established Auditor and a Keke Napep driver.
Raziella (Ijeoma Grace Agu) is a well-established career woman. She has worked and achieved so much for a woman her age, and takes the idea of independence to the extreme. On a day out, she is attacked by a robber, in true Lagos style. He breaks her window and tries to take her bag. Zikhora (Kelechi Udegbe),a Keke Napep driver sees this happening from afar and steps in. The robber gets upset and shoots Zikhora.
Raziella takes responsibility and despite her nasty attitude towards him, they form a friendship.
The writer makes a number of uncomfortable choices with her characters. For example, through the film, we know Raziella as a very nasty woman. She is only friendly to her good friend Korede (Sophie Alakija). The writer never puts a reason to this and the only reason we make out of it, is her independence.
This is a problem to the narrative told about independent women. Raziella, through dialogue and action looks to have deeper issues that are unexplored and any viewer will link this to her independence. The writer makes it seem that way.
“Love in the Times of Keke” has intriguing scenes and the pairing of Kelechi Udegbe and Ijeoma grace Agu makes this the type of film you will watch again. They are in tune with each other and their acting synchronizes with quite a good story.
“Love in the Time of Kekes” will make you laugh, make you appreciate honesty in the fave of poverty, and teach a few things on gratitude.
It earns a 7/10 from Xplore
