Rom-Coms, the Nollywood staple, is back on our screens with the Chinnylove Eze-produced Hire a Woman, a sequel to 2016’s Hire a Man, reminding us to believe in love even when that love doesn’t come in the most predictable ways.
The film follows Jide (Uzo Arukwe), who is invited to a university reunion to celebrate the engagement of his longtime friends Nat (Mike Godson) and Jane (Ifu Ennada). Jide intends to avoid the reunion entirely because he still has the hots for his ex Toyosi (Uche Nwaefuna) who callously broke his heart as soon as they were done with schooling.
But he is convinced by his friends Teni (Nancy Isime) and Zainab (Belinda Effah) to hire Teni to one-up his ex and show his friends that he’s moved on from the shy, introverted geek he used to be. Together, they show up at a resort with Nifemi (Erica Nlewedim), Emeka (Alexx Ekubo), Nat, Jane, and Toyosi. When Jide finds himself falling for an unlikely woman, the scheme quickly falls apart.
Hire a woman trailer. Credit: YouTube
Societal pressures are a universal phenomenon and though Jide doesn’t seem to be all that bothered by it at the start of this film, he’s simply minding his business and living his life, having to deal with the people who knew him before, forced those insecurities to the fore. In a way, Hire a Woman strives to tell viewers that societal pressures are not only piled on women but on everyone. The plot is straightforward if more than a little slow but there is a common thread to follow.
Jide, in the beginning, is uptight, unable to have fun except at the teasing of his friends, and still pining away for a woman who clearly didn’t love him in the first place. He is not adventurous at all, the perfect vehicle to show a beautiful character arc. By the time Teni and Zainab are done with him, the viewers have a main character that they can invest in. Which is one of the best parts of this movie. The plot also throws a curveball in the works by not doing the predictable thing by having Jide fall in love with Teni who he eventually hires to pretend to be his girlfriend. It instead gives us something novel by picking the least likely woman and giving us a glimpse into a slow-burn romance.
The location for Hire a Woman is quite beautiful. Whispering Palms in Badagry showcases beautiful beach scenery and an idyllic environment that often made for some quite stunning shots. Kudos to the cinematographer because this is a very visually appealing film.
While this film has some high points, there are more than a few low points. The characters themselves, with the exception of Nifemi, are not particularly likable. Jide, from the start to nearly the end, seems unable to make up his mind or stand his ground about anything and is constantly just bowing to those around him. Teni is pushy. Nat plays the loverboy deeply in love with his fiancée and gives a very lukewarm performance in all. The rest of the characters seem to only solely exist to fill the background and provide unnecessary drama to make sure the movie is progressing.
Some of the characters had no growth despite their backstories. What’s the point of watching something if pretty much everyone ends up where they began, the only difference being that two of them are now dating? The story also progresses really slowly. So, in the end, it feels like a bit of a letdown.
But if Rom-Coms are your absolute jam and you want an easy watch with very little action going on, Hire a Woman might be exactly what you’re looking for. Find it on Netflix.
Didi Dan-Asisah is an art enthusiast and critic. She lives in Lagos.
Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.
