QUEEN LATEEFAH: WUMI TORIOLA'S LATEST FILM REDEFINES NOLLYWOOD COMEDY, DRAMA

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Wumi Toriola plays a woman torn between her ostentatiously beautiful life and her poor upbringing in Queen Lateefah. The film, which was directed by Adeoluwa Owu, is a skillfully constructed production with excellent attention to detail. It combines comedy, romance, and drama, a style typical of modern Nollywood films.

Queen Lateefah illustrates both the opulent lifestyle of the wealthy and the life that can be had in a ghetto. Queen Lateefah, who is at the bottom of the barrel but manages to project the attitude of a very significant person, demonstrates her goals through the effective utilization of upscale settings. The rundown “face-me-I-face-you” structure in which she resides illustrates the hard reality she conceals while feigning to be a member of the class that can afford upscale lodging, offices, and high-end venues.

As we have seen in Jenifa and Acada, the concept employed in Queen Lateefah is not new. But by rebranding the topic, the filmmakers were able to give audiences exactly what they had hoped for in those films. Despite being entertaining, the movie is a Ribcracker, failing to build on its humorous element. Despite some obvious developments, the movie has a nice pace and is entertaining to watch.

Wumi Toriola excelled because she could portray two distinct personas at once, such as the ghetto girl who managed to pass for a member of the upper class. I could relate to her hardships and the stress she was under to keep up her deception. Her self-assurance even in the face of almost being found out is truly remarkable and convincing.

After his performance in the unimpressive film Something Like Gold, Kunle Remi, who plays Jide Rhodes, the attractive bachelor who falls in love with Lateefah, makes amends. He and Lateefah’s chemistry produced humorous, tense, and romantic moments. He was able to equal Wumi Toriola’s level of energy.

Once again, Broda Shaggi mimics his increasingly over-used Instagram avatar. If he’s going to display something like his Instagram sketch character, I’ll tell any filmmaker considering casting him to make sure he stars as himself. After all, Baba Suwe was able to showcase his talents for comic relief because he was usually playing himself in Nollywood films. Baba Suwe never played the part of a serious doctor because of this.

The supporting cast is strong, with rookies like Gbubemi Ejeye and seasoned actors like Femi Adebayo, Fathia Balogun, and Bimbo Manuel giving strong performances.

I enjoy how the outdoor scenes’ color grading makes use of orange and turquoise. This made it easier to manage the highlights and gave the scenes a serene, calming vibe. However, I could still see remnants of teal in the blacks and shadows of the grade, which makes them untidy. Maybe this was because I saw the movie on a big screen.

Queen Lateefah receives a 7 out of 10, and it would have received a higher rating if it weren’t for the Nollywood theme.