This movie follows the story of Aisha, a young woman who returns home after years abroad. But the town she left behind is not the same town she has come home to.
Most people would find this one quite confusing. Confusing not because the story is a complex one but because they did not really do much in terms of storytelling.
First, what did I like?
It was beautifully shot. I liked the cinematography; every shot looked like it was thoughtfully composed. I liked the movie setting, the beautiful location, the picture, the gorgeous lighting, the colourful clothes, everything felt a bit dreamy, it looked like art.
I liked the cast, beautiful people but the acting was just there. Even though they did not do too bad, I thought they could have done more with better directing.
The chemistry between Aisha and Kay was good. I liked the twist with the identity of Mide’s killer, I gasped! Even though Aisha never got closure and Kay’s death became another layer of pain she had to come to terms with, the way Kay died seemed very befitting… I liked the fact that as the audience, we knew something Aisha did not know.
Issues?
I think the biggest issue I had with this film was the story. It seemed like there was no story, no context…I think Meji Alabi forgot that this was not a short film, nor a music video but an actual feature film. As a result, we needed them to go into the details. Water and Garri was very flat and bland and boring. It offered nothing in the way of dramatic momentum or entertainment. I must mention that even though this one did not excite me, it did not put me to sleep either and this was because I was trying really hard to concentrate, I really wanted to get it, I really wanted to like it but in the end it was a waste of time, a waste of 81minutes of my life that I would never get back.
For most films, you follow a clear narrative but with Water and Garri, it did not really seem like there was something to follow….even 30mins in, I was thinking “and then what?”
Another thing I did not like was the fact that this movie suffered from a major case of identity crisis. It was supposed to be about Aisha’s homecoming, but the audience couldn’t relate because we did not even know where “home” was.
Where was home? They had Yoruba names and spoke Yoruba at intervals, so Nigeria? But it did not feel like any Nigerian community; it did not seem to represent any Nigerian culture. Some other actors had what was obviously a Ghanaian accent, then they sprinkled “Chale“ here and there, so Ghana? But then why were they speaking Yoruba? Did Aisha’s family move to that part of Ghana or what?
Maybe Eastside was a fictitious community. But then they should have built a robust identity for it such that it would feel like an actual community with a particular type of people, language, and culture. Let me not even say anything about their pidgin English; it was terrible. As a result of this identity issue, the actors did not even know how exactly they were supposed to speak and behave. As a viewer, I couldn’t get into the movie as a result of this because the obvious flaw constantly nagged at me.
While watching this movie, I had questions; Why did Aisha come home after 10years because of the death of one distant cousin? Considering how she left and why she left, it did not really seem realistic..I am not sure she ever visited the person’s grave sef. While she saw Stephany a few times, they also did not seem that close, they had this relationship that implied they really liked themselves but they were not that close. So with this being the major premise of the film, I was not sure what to think.
They kept on emphasizing that “Eastside had changed” but honestly, what was different? They made reference to increased violence and crime and all that but we did not really see anything like that , in fact, it looked like it was worse when she left. The gang rivalry between Kay and that other guy, what was that? A Joke. Because what exactly were they on about?
Moving on, I think they were too concerned about everything looking so crisp and beautiful, the elements that should have added personality were missing. For example, the gang members sitting on bikes, with their gold chains, dark shades, leather Panama caps and leather jackets, staring intensely at the camera, it looked like a scene from a music video. For a ghetto, everyone looked too put together, everywhere sounded too quiet, the neighborhood was empty, the houses too brightly lit, it did not look natural. Everywhere looked like a “set”, even the market. Kay himself was an unconvincing gang leader, his tattoos looked like someone scribbled on his body with a pen.
With this film, so much was left untold. It could have been so much more but it wasn’t. It felt like a glimpse into something more.
Overall, Water and Garri was not a good watch for me. It had beautiful aesthetics, but it lacked substance. A proof that feature-length movies can’t survive on the ingredients for a standard music video.
I really would like to say this movie was not my cup of tea but maybe that was the issue, I went in expecting tea from people who told me that the only thing they had on the menu was Water and Garri.
My Rating: 1/10
Have you seen the movie, please share your thoughts with us in the comments below
Read the review of Breath of Life here.
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