Kunle Afolayan’s The Figurine can best be described as a block buster because it will resonate in the minds of viewers and practitioners for a long time to come, thanks to its good production quality and screen play.
The movie ‘The Figurine’ deals with three friends – corps members who in the course of service to their nation were caught in the web of life mystery as they come in contact with the diety ‘Araromire’ the goddess of fortune and destruction. It is a fusion of traditional folklore with contemporary life.
Sola Fajure played by Kunle Afolayan, a young playful philanderer who turns up at the orientation camp in Araromire though late for the compulsory one year national youth service meets his friend Femi Kalejaiye (Ramsey Nouah) an asthmatic guy with thick glasses and his girlfriend, Mona (Omoni Oboli) who later becomes his wife there.
These two friends’ lives were re-directed by a 7-year boom and a 7-year doom route map thanks to Araromire which they stumbled upon in an abandoned shrine in a forest during a camp activity. Sola decides to keep the statue against Femi’s advice that it could portend danger.
True to the words of the professor (Muraina Oyelami) revealed upon Mona’s inquiry about the figurine, they had their fair share of fortune, good luck and good health. These friends began to have unexpected occurrences of sheer luck after their youth service. Femi returns from aboard with the disappearance of his asthma attacks to find his father’s cancer ailment gone. Sola got a good job after NYSC and he and his wife are expecting their second baby.
Then began the years of doom, during which it was discovered that the same statue that made them boom for 7 years was responsible for their doom. Efforts to discard it including Mona’s repeated attempts to destroy it all proved abortive.
The Figurine is suspense-filled even till the end as the viewers are left to ponder whether the story was just a mere coincidence or superstition or the making of the figurine which the story picks its central theme from.
One of the highlights of the movie is its picture quality which was of course enabled by the hi-tech equipment used to shoot. Little wonder, the movie bagged the award for the best picture quality (AMAA 2010).
Set in Nigeria, a sub-saharan African country with diverse cultures and traditions rooted in the belief in the supremacy of the deities, one agrees that this might not have been a bad location for this thriller.
With its indirect and unpredicting screenplay, beautiful and logical shots to complement action and sounds, one must just give credit to the director- Kunle Afolyan. But that’s only to mention a few of the qualities of a good production work Kunle fed the viewers’ eyes with. The transition of the characters from youth corps members to high profile personality in the society as exemplified at the McCom Golf Club setting, the transition of the setting from the youth orientation camp to the metropolitan city of Lagos, and the beach road home of Sola Fajure all points out to a quality work.
Another great asset this block buster can boast of is her characters- an all-Nigerian cast. ‘Owambe’ Linda Chukwu (Funlola Aofiyebi- Raimi) is also one character to watch out for in ‘The Figurine’. She did justice to her interpretation of the role of a companion and a listening ear to Mona well not forgetting steady, consistent and all-charming character- Mona.
With all these outstanding production qualities, one would not be surprised ‘The Figurine’ was nominated in 10 categories in film making at the 2010 edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). The movie won awards in cinematography, best picture and also bagged the award for the best film from Africa. Now, if you feel Nigerian movies are sub-standard, then watch ‘The Figurine’ as it will definitely stun you and keep you glued to the screen till the end.
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