Through Nnamdi, the central character’s internal struggle, Family Gbese navigates the delicate balance between personal desires and the pressures of family obligations. While it sets out to explore these weighty themes, the film’s delivery feels uneven, often teetering between engaging drama and predictable, formulaic moments.

This review delves into how Family Gbese attempts to balance these elements and whether it succeeds in offering something fresh or falls into familiar patterns.

Story

Family Gbese delivers a thought-provoking exploration of familial obligations and the moral compromises that accompany ambition. The narrative uses Nnamdi Nwagba’s internal conflict to highlight the tension between individual aspirations and the inescapable pull of family loyalty, a theme deeply resonant in our Nigerian cultural contexts.

By intertwining elements of comedy and drama, the filmmakers aim to create an emotionally layered experience; however, while the comedic elements are present, they are not particularly impactful, relying heavily on audience preferences for effectiveness.

This approach results in a lightweight emotional experience, primarily because of the relatability of Nnamdi’s struggles, which mirror dilemmas of loyalty, responsibility, and personal ambition. These thematic choices enrich the story’s accessibility, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own boundaries when faced with impossible decisions, even as the film occasionally leans more on familiar tropes than on profound revelations.

Plot

The plot of Family Gbese unfurls through a tightly woven series of events that force Nnamdi into increasingly precarious situations, as he grapples with his brother’s mounting debts and his own aspirations for a secure future. The stakes are present and formulatic, with Nnamdi navigating dangerous confrontations, such as the scene where Folarin (Ekun) and his gang abduct Chioma, pushing him further into a web of familial and criminal tensions.

While the filmmakers skillfully juxtapose Nnamdi’s sophisticated corporate life with the gritty underworld of his past plus Gozie’s debts, certain predictable beats in the story, such as Nnamdi’s inevitable entanglement in money laundering and the romantic complications with Ayomikun, slightly diminish the tension.

These developments, though dramatically charged, follow a formulaic trajectory familiar to ensemble dramas, which might lead viewers to anticipate the outcomes before they unfold. However, the plot’s cohesion and present stakes surrounding Nnamdi’s choices keep the audience invested, even as the narrative navigates a web of relationships and consequences.

Cinema Experience

When considering the cinema experience for Family Gbese, the film presents a mixed case. On one hand, its themes of familial obligations and moral dilemmas resonate deeply and could spark meaningful discussions, making it a potential choice for a reflective outing with close friends or family. However, the cinematic presentation doesn’t fully justify itself as an essential big-screen experience.

The sound quality is a significant drawback, with poor distinction between background and foreground audio that often results in distracting clashes. This issue becomes particularly frustrating in critical scenes, such as when Nnamdi attempts to explain his character’s psychology. The dialogue is difficult to decipher, and key moments with Nnamdi and Ayomikun are similarly undermined by these audio inconsistencies. The fast-paced editing, though effective in maintaining narrative momentum, can leave viewers struggling to absorb information, adding that in most cases, there are no subtitles, and especially as there’s no option to rewind in the cinema setting.

While the sound design does have its merits, these technical flaws detract from the immersive potential of the film. For those seeking to bask in the emotional weight of the story, the cinema fails to amplify these feelings to their fullest extent. However, if the goal is a lighthearted outing with relatable themes and opportunities for post-viewing conversations about shared experiences, Family Gbese might still be worth the ticket.

Technical Aspects

Family Gbese shines in some areas while faltering in others, with technical choices playing a significant role in shaping and sometimes diminishing the overall experience.

The production design is visually appealing, prioritising aesthetics over a cinematic look, which works well for creating beautiful settings but does little to elevate the storytelling. The cinematography is similarly decent, but there are noticeable lapses, such as inconsistent lighting. For instance, the night scene where Yetunde leaves, and Nnamdi chases after her, is poorly lit, making it look like daytime and breaking immersion.

Sound design, a crucial element of any film, suffers from glaring flaws. The lack of distinction between background and foreground audio creates distracting clashes, with critical dialogue drowned out or unclear. This is most evident in the scene where Nnamdi explains his character psychology, an important moment rendered ineffective due to poor sound clarity.

Fast-paced editing (for graphical elements on screen), while maintaining energy, often sacrifices coherence, leaving viewers struggling to keep up. Abrupt cuts, such as the jarring transition from a kiss between Nnamdi and Ayomikun, to his bedroom scene, further disrupt the flow.

The screenplay oscillates between effective and underwhelming. Gozie’s departure, intended to be heartfelt, falls flat due to probably unconvincing writing, or rather, acting choices. Similarly, some dialogue, like the speech-turned-apology, veers into awkwardness, diluting its emotional impact.

Performances

That said, Lilian Afegbai’s character, Yetunde, is well-written, with her selfish ambition and love for Nnamdi adding depth and complexity to the narrative. The written chemistry between Ayomide (Teni Aladese) and Nnamdi (Uzor Arukwe) is so natural and positively predictable. Their natural acting and dialogue accentuates the believability of their on-screen chemistry.

The acting is a strong point, with performances effectively reflecting the characters’ personalities. Mike Ezuruonye’s portrayal of Gozie, a short-sighted, irresponsible elder sibling is appropriately exaggerated to a fault, complemented by costume choices that accentuate his immature nature.

However, towards the film’s climax, his dialogue becomes verbose and anti-climactic, reducing the tension in that moment, and one point, inconsistent (he switches from using Pidgin-English combined with Igbo, to an almost accurate English when trying to coverup for his brother.)

Genoveva Umeh plays Lolade Balogun, a lovable, free-spirited, and bubbly tech enthusiast. Sandra Okunzuwa portrays Chioma, the youngest Nwagba sibling, who is incredibly forgiving and serves as the family peacemaker, mediating conflicts between Nnamdi and Gozie. Ireti Doyle totally embodies Yetunde’s affluent mother.

The rest of the cast features equally strong performances from Muyiwa Ademola, Adeniyi Johnson, Yemi Solade, Fathia Williams, and Seun Kentebe.

Final Thoughts

The film’s narrative relies on familiar tropes, like predictable criminal drama and a lacklustre romantic subplot, which detracts from the emotional stakes. Chioma, the supposed peacemaker, doesn’t add much depth to the story and feels like a mere plot device rather than a fully fleshed-out character. The mix of comedy and drama seems more forced than seamless, preventing the film from striking a genuine emotional chord.

Verdict

In balancing its elements of family drama, moral dilemmas, and comedy, Family Gbese struggles to find a consistent tone. The mix of comedy and drama, rather than enhancing the emotional depth, feels unnecessary at some point, and the technical flaws hinder its potential.

Rating: 3/5