Òlòtūré (2019)
7/10
Solid film
31 January 2023
Nollywood has seen large improvements in recent years, particularly those that deal with serious issues & Oloture is definitely another step in the right direction. Human trafficking & forced prostitution is a big, widespread issue in Nigeria & the film has no qualms about depicting just how brutal & cruel that world can be. The overarching story I felt was good & contrary to what I've read in some reviews I actually thought the ending was great. The real-life stories of women who are subjected to this sadly very rarely have happy endings so why would a movie that strives to depict & bring awareness to this issue?

Nollywood has a long standing & firmly established tradition of overacting (those of us who remember Nigerian films from the 90s/early 2000s know this very well) & it is something that has not yet been completely rooted out. As a result some of the performances here are very inconsistent. As many have pointed out the protagonist acting shocked that she is expected to do what prostitutes do when she voluntarily went undercover is a bit strange, as is the fact that she is always so surprised by the horrors she witnesses. I mean she is a native Nigerian, not an American tourist, she must have had some clue about the awful things these ladies have to endure.

Overall I thought this was a good & moving film. Good production value & though inconsistent at times there are also some really good performances by certain actors here. If Nollywood continues to evolve in this direction there is great hope for the future of African cinema & I'm glad we are starting to see more of these movies that depict & tackle serious subjects come out. Well worth a watch if you ask me.
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