Director: Ishaya Bako
Producer: Genevieve Nnaji, Chinny Onwugbenu
Writer: Genevieve Nnaji
Cast: Genevieve Nnaji, Oris Erhuero, Chioma Omeruah, Ebele Okaro-Onyiuke and Majid Michel
Year: 2015
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
First time producers and director teamed up and gave us ‘Road to Yesterday’ that speaks of how a couple discover an infidelity that threatens to end their marriage, which consequently leads to unearthing, even more secrets. Will the marriage survive especially when the husband has taken to heavy alcohol abuse?
Genevieve Nnaji, the executive producer and her first debut movie, played the part of Victoria, a wife who has fallen into serious trouble with her husband but won’t be given a fair hearing. Genevieve has starred in over 80 Nollywood movies and her seeming absence since Half of a Yellow Sun (Ms. Adebayo – 2013) was obviously geared into her amazing performance here in Road to Yesterday. Her remorse was livid but she shed more tears than the supposed heart-broken other.
Winner of the 2005 Africa Movie Academy Awards for the Best Actress in a Leading Role, she might not be winning that award this year with this movie as I rightly predicted that her husband would forgive her. An unnecessary death at the end was totally un-needed. Spoilt any little comedy I had enjoyed that far.
Oris Erhuero plays his role well with the manliness, suave, and aggressiveness expected of Izu. I admire the sharp transition from the romantic and bright looking Izu to the dark and moody other. His no-bullshit attitude was okay, but he didn’t have to get down from the car in the middle of nowhere and walk into the bush for about an hour.
Make-up was close to perfect, maybe a little too much, but the smear under Genevieve’s eyes to show she’d just finished crying was ugly. Costumes were well done, even up to the old man in the bush with his complimentary cutlass.
This movie was directed by Ishaya Bako, Best Short Film Award winner at the 8th Africa Movie Awards for Braids on a Bald Head and known for his short film Fuelling Poverty narrated by Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka. There’s an obvious effort by the London Film Academy alumni to make the movie as thought provoking as possible.
Sound quality wasn’t exactly the best. The locations weren’t breathtaking but suitable. The film editing was also carefully done by Chuka Ejorh (The Apprentice Africa – 2008) but didn’t get him a 10/10.
Crying angles were very perfect. Filming angles were all good too. The production design was done by Chima Adighije, who also has The Department in his portfolio, although there wasn’t any significant set construction present to me.
Road to Yesterday first premiered on the 13th November 2015 during the African International Film Festival but was released nationwide on the 27th November 2015. It’s a must watch for matured audiences and broken-hearted lovers, who hope to find answers. Remarkable and impressive homegrown content and earns a 7.5/10 from Xplore.
Take a peek at the trailer below.
This review was written by Tolu Kareem a movie enthusiast, you can follow him on @tolukareem.
