It almost gives viewers the impression that they are watching the controversial 2022 movie 'Glamour Girls' except this time, the entire plot line seems so hazy that it's hard to keep up.
Movie Title: Domitilla: The Reboot
Runtime: 2 hours
Date of Release: 7th April 2023
Cast: Teniola Aladese, Uzoamaka Doris Auiunoh, Elvina Ibru, Deyemi Okanlawon, Stan Nze, Ejiro Onojaife and Onyinye Odokoro.
At this point, one might as well create a petition that prevents Nollywood producers from butchering classic movies.
It almost seems as if, despite the thousands of screenwriters out there with new and intriguing film concepts, for a reason best described as nostalgia, everyone wants to revisit the 90s and early 2000s popular movies back then and "lazily" turn them into a reboot.
Don't get us wrong; we are not saying the idea of reboots is generally bad; it's just the execution of many, including the recent addition, Domitilla, which makes it look like zero effort goes into storytelling, cinematography and acting performances.
Domitilla has a relatively similar storyline to the original 1996 version. The film tells the story of four ladies who find themselves entangled in the dangerous web of prostitution, where the only way to get out is through losing their lives or those around them.
Without a doubt, Domitilla contains several moral lessons. However, it offers nothing new to viewers, shielding it from the ability to stand out. It almost gives viewers the impression that they are watching the controversial 2022 movie Glamour Girls, except this time, the entire plotline seems so hazy that it's hard to keep up.
The Gist
As is increasingly common with Nollywood movies, the film begins with a flash forward where we see three ladies about to get shot by a man. Before this happens, we are taken back to, let's say, a few months earlier and introduced to Ekwutosi (Onyinye Odokoro), who is currently debating the pros and cons of going ahead with an arranged marriage. She finally decides and flees to Lagos.
Upon arriving in Lagos, she squats with her friend Ijeoma (Chioma Okafor) and works as a part-time usher. During one of her ushering gigs, she meets Madame Vee (Elvina Ibru), who takes an interest in her and offers Ekwutosi the opportunity to design a gown that would earn her millions.
Unknown to Ekwutosi, Madame Vee runs a prostitution and child trafficking ring. Following a conversation with both ladies, Ekwutosi is introduced to the world of prostitution by Madam in a bid to achieve "dreams."
To help her navigate her new career option, she is paired with two other ladies: Promise (Uzoamaka Anionuh) and Fissolideniola Aladese) At the same time, same time, same time, Fisayo and Ekwutosi biosolid facadsolid facade solid facade due to the past trauma she experienced.
Meanwhile, the corpse of a lady causes a detective (Deyemi Okanlawon) to investigate Madam Vee's practices. A case that started as a dead end begins with possibilities as the lady, Vince's right-hand woman, decides to take her down.
The Good
Domitilla is a fair effort for a reboot. The costumes were great, the sound was fantastic, and the cinematography though average, showcased evidence of professionalism.
Stan Nze, no stranger to the big screen, stands out the most as his performance as Farouk makes a few scenes less cringy and watchable.
Lastly, Domitilla invokes a strong emotional response when viewers witness Promise getting shot after sharing her traumatic life experiences and reconnecting with her mother.
The Bad
Halfway into watching Domitilla, it would be normal to sit back and ask yourself, "What am I watching?" You might even walk out of the theatre because the screenplay has several flaws that make it slightly unbearable to sit through.
There were poorly written characters who lacked strong motives or intentions as the story progresses; the dialogue did not help matters, as it sounded cringy and bland.
Usually, in screenplay situations like this, actors can, to some extent, save the day, but the acting performances in Domitilla were below par. The actors failed to tap into the essence of the characters, preventing us from firing on a journey with those characters and rooting for them till the end.
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Don't even get us started on the editing and music. While there were a few good songs, the background music each time Madam Vee appeared on the screen was distracting and cringy. The editing was also executed poorly, as incensed as if someone took different parts of a movie and merged them without considering plot progression. This gives the film the impression of being shot on a low budget.
A lot of show don't tell moments also ruined this film. Rather than have Promise narrate her life experiences, there were several other ways she hav has had had had fffFlashhad had ack would have been ideal, or something else other than her suddenly waking Fisayo up in the middle of the night and providing her background.
Final Verdict
4/10. Doitilla has a lineup of great talents and several opportunities to explore but fails to optimise them.
Domitilla is currently showing at cinemas.
