By Naomi Salami
Movie title: SOÓLÈ
Release date: November26, 2021
Runtime: 1 hour 56 mins.
Director: Kayode Kasum
Producer: Adunni Ade
Background
Derived from the Yoruba street slang, Soólè means “to drop”. To the locals who are familiar with this word, it is a fast and cheap means of transport, where passengers don’t have to get to the bus park to board a vehicle but can be picked up along the way. This mode of transportation is actually unsafe as it is done by drivers who want quick money and also want to boycott and dodge their daily obligatory tickets.
About half of the plot of the movie was set in a bus which was filled with a variety of personalities with different character traits. The movie sheds light on different strangers who meet on a bus travelling to the eastern part of Nigeria and experience frightening incidents along the way which later forge bonds among the passengers.
The plot
Adunni Ade, who plays Sister Veronica, a nun with financial issues in her orphanage, is first seen in the movie. She decided to use Soólè to return to her base after failing in her attempt to raise money to give the orphanage kids a memorable Christmas. The bus driver (Shawn Faqua) was portrayed as greedy because of the outrageous fares he charges despite flouting the laid-down rules by transport union. His high charges don’t seem to go well with the next passenger he picks on the way (Meg Otanwa) who plays the role of a young trader who is trying to make ends meet, although she was portrayed as wayward and defiant but, she later turns out to be the opposite, as the movie progresses.
The bus was filled with interesting and relatable characters, especially for those who are used to the hustle and bustle of commuting in Lagos. From the preacher to the religious fanatics, product sellers, the passengers with the ‘I no send’ mentality, the troublemakers and the peacemakers, it had all the elements.
Credit: 9ja Plugins on YouTube
The bus is later hijacked by a group of robbers who stole the luggage of Justina (Meg Otanwa), this posed a question in the minds of the passengers as no other person was robbed in the bus and they queried Justina on the contents of the bag.
The story takes an unexpected turn as one of the passengers played by Adedimeji Lateef caused a ruckus in the bus saying he wanted to alight from the bus and he rained threats on the driver and passengers for denying him that freedom. After the driver finally honoured his request, he insisted that a bag that was in the boot of the bus was his, but this was argued by the driver and Sister Veronica (Adunni Ade) as she bore witness to who gave the bag to the driver. It was later discovered that he was an informant for the gang of thieves that robbed the bus earlier.
To figure out why the bag was the target of the robbers, they decided to check the contents and they discovered that it was filled with dollar currency. This opened a can of greed and they decided to share the cash among themselves but first, they needed to remove any charm that must have been placed on the money. This scenario was filled with surprises as a man who had a pregnant wife refused to leave the bus with her as he wanted his own share of the cash. A scene that left a lot of mouths hanging due to shock and bad feelings towards him. Unfortunately, he didn’t live to get his “share” as he intended, lets just say, karma was very quick in her judgement.
The casts
Being a star-studded movie, the Kayode Kaum-directed movie had an interesting selection of cast. Shawn Faqua who played the role of the driver gave a flawless performance. His funny antics and facial expressions provided comedic relief throughout the movie. Shawn has proven time and time again his ability to embrace any character which makes it difficult for anyone to know how he really is in real life. A trait of an amazing actor.
Odera Olivia Orji was a sight to behold. Her dramatic antics and speeches reminded some of us of a few people we had met along the way who reacted the way she did to every situation. Sola Sobowale, Meg Otanwa, Femi Jacobs and Ikponmwosa Gold were phenomenal in their roles and it’s safe to say that this was carefully planned out.
Any drawbacks
A lot of question marks were raised due to some inconsistencies. An instance is the survival of the driver at the end of the day which they intended as a plot twist but it seemed a little bit too convenient. During the gunfire towards the end of the movie, the driver was shot at point-blank range which should have killed him or injured him severely in the chest area but we were shown that he was shot in the stomach area and he was saved because of the cash he had secretly strapped to his body. This lack of attention to detail is a major flaw in some Nollywood projects.
Opinion
Funny, drama-filled and relatable, Soólè, had all the right elements despite its setbacks. It perfectly mirrored societal ills and how untrustworthy man can be. It also passes as a comic relief. The minor morals embedded into the plot also go in line with the main plot of the story. From the blinding of the people by some so-called “preachers” to the innocent but raggedy-looking individuals in society. Soólè happens to be Adunni Ade’s debut movie production and it turned out to be an excellent first project. It is the perfect movie you need to kick back, relax and feed your mind.
Soólè’ is currently streaming and it is a must-watch.
Naomi Salami is a Content Manager with Meiza Nigeria.
