By Bukola Amoboye
Following her widely acclaimed movie, Sista, Biodun Stephen returns with another emotionally gripping drama, Momiwa, which is based on true events, adding a layer of intrigue to the narrative.
Starring Uzor Arukwe, Blessing Jessica Obasi, Iyabo Ojo, and others, ‘Momiwa’ was released to Prime Video on May 10th and has received positive reviews from many movie lovers so far.
One thing about Biodun Stephen is that she is going to play it close to heart. ‘Momiwa is also based on true events, and it really had us wondering how much of it was true.
SPOILER-FREE SUMMARY
‘Momiwa’ tells the story of a family and their beloved happy-go-lucky housekeeper. However, things go awry when the missing wife comes back into the picture and begins to complicate things, causing tensions that threaten to tear the once-peaceful family apart.
In some ways, the story shares similarities with her previous movie, ‘Sista’, as both portray the struggles of single parenting, whether as a mother or a father. Both movies also strongly play with themes of family and betrayal by a spouse.
WHY WE LOVE IT
The Plot!
Now, this was a plot.
This story deserves to be told and watched, especially as it is based on actual events. From the opening scene, we knew we were in for a treat!
Blessing Obasi’s performance as Momiwa completely blew us away with her accent and impeccable acting. She really did sell the lovable persona of her character, leaving us mostly understanding of the family’s initially weird attachment to her. Her chemistry with Uzor Arukwe was also palpable, and we rooted for them the whole time.
At some point, the story played on our consciences, causing us some confusion over who to support, and we quite enjoyed it for the time it lasted.
The use of flashbacks was also quite effective in taking us on a journey into the stories behind the story, carefully explaining things that initially seemed uncertain.
The makeup, especially that of Uzor Arukwe in the flashbacks, was laudable. He was almost unrecognisable, and it definitely helped his portrayal of his ‘grass to grace’ story.
Another theme that was portrayed albeit sparingly was ‘Post-natal depression.’ This is hardly talked about in our society; truthfully, we would love to see more movies doing justice to this topic.
ON THE OTHER HAND
The cinematography was pretty bland, to say the least. In many ways, it looked more like a YouTube movie than prime-worthy.
Although we also understand that more focus was spent on the storytelling, we wouldn’t have minded a bit more aesthetics, picture-wise.
Secondly, we were deprived of certain emotions. The story had the opportunity to delve deeper and take us on a thorough emotional journey, but little attention was paid to certain scenes that could have done that. This also resulted in a lack of chemistry between Arukwe and Ojo. Even though they were meeting again for the first time in 10 years, if they were really each others’ one true love as they both claimed, we should have seen that on display when they reconciled.
The movie also missed the opportunity to become nearly as memorable as Tyler Perry’s critically acclaimed Acrimony. We all remember how that movie almost ‘tore nations apart,’ with everyone arguing who was in the wrong between the lead characters. Momiwa could likewise have left us in that state, but Instead, it dissolved into a predictable resolution where one of the women was obviously the villain.
OUR TAKE
While the plot had multiple chances to give even more, we can’t say we weren’t entirely pleased with the storytelling. We also love that the movie shows us that being a family isn’t only about blood; it’s about who is there when you need them the most, and that, in this case, it is MOMIWA.
