Written & directed by Jack’enneth Opukeme with Adebayo Tijani sharing in the directorial credit, this epic drama first released to cinemas on the 27th of September, 2024 is now currently available for streaming on both Netflix (Naija/Africa) and the KavaTV app. The movie with a runtime of 1hour 39minutes, is Executively produced by Ladun Awobokun alongside a host of others for and distributed majorly by FilmOne Studios.
MAY contain spoilers from hereon
SYNOPSIS:
When Funmi (Gbubemi Ejeye) is forcefully married off to a rich farmer Odun (Femi Branch) by her mother (Wunmi Toriola) in exchange for a piece of land, Funmi, deeply unhappy and unfulfilled would soon be entangled in a web weaved out from her own fantasies.
Taking on a forbidden path with Odun’s nephew Femi (Tobi Bakre), his mother Morenike (Mercy Aigbe) the community’s priestess & closest ally to Odun would pose a threat to Funmi. Will Funmi eventually enjoy her new home and find peace in herself? Best to find out for yourself!
MY TAKE:
Phew! WHAT a MOVIE! This turned out way better than I expected as I had approached it not hoping for much to be honest. Happy to have been wowed! From the very first scene, it grabs your attention, pulls you in quite effortlessly and masterfully holds your gaze so much so that before you’ll remember to blink, you may already be well into the second act of the film. Yes, it is that captivating and engaging, I kidn’t you!
STORY/PLOT:
Set in the 1980s in Ibadan, Nigeria, the story which by the way is a breath of fresh air albeit not entirely new centres on the thin line between love and lust, freedom and regrets as it explores themes of how desperate times can give rise to desperate measures (though a matter of choice).
Funmi had several options as a way of escape from the bondage she felt she was in but chose the very one that came to her dark mind.
Although weakened in the very last scene, the plot stayed steady throughout as it revolves around Funmi and Femi as the main characters.
The movie also subtly highlighted traditional ways of DNA testing as well as themes of obsession. Morenike was inherently and helplessly obsessed (not giving too much away). The very last scene proves this.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT/PERFORMANCE:
One of the highlights of this movie or maybe one of its greatest strengths is the natural acting from about 98% of the cast. All the actors were introduced seamlessly as they embodied their roles. The leads did awesome in the interpretation of their characters so much so it’s somewhat difficult to state who was better than the other.
Gbubemi shines bright as she skilfully draws viewers into her world of unhappiness: quite relatable. Tobi Bakre playing an indecisive yet a strong character as Femi/Ishayo is equally a sight to behold. Efe Irele, phenomenal in her element came through too with a sneaky, sassy, couldn’t-careless attitude.
Be that as it may, top on my list is Mercy Aigbe. She owned her role like it’s second nature. I think she got an award for this role in the last AMVCA’s if I’m not mistaken (well deserved, THAT). Femi Branch as Odun was a perfect fit for the role of a capitalist farmer.
DIRECTING/EXECUTION:
The directing of this film is clean and straightforward. Without any unnecessary scenes nor excessively prolonged ones or repeated dialogues, this was executed perfectly.
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
The beauty of the cinematic element of this film cannot be overemphasised. Picture quality is simply breathtaking. I couldn’t stop gushing over how sharp the imagery was; CRISP is the word 
I think it is by far one of the best cinematography I’ve seen in a while and a greater part of the score I’ll give to the movie would be for this. Super loved it.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS:
The attention to details in terms of location, costumes, props, hair, makeup is awesome. The background music and sound score couldn’t be any better too.
LESSONS:
He who lives by the sword dïes by the sword (metaphorically).
You cannot eat your cake and have it. Funmi thought she had it all figured out after her shocking action. Little did she know what awaits her.
It is ridiculous that people who cheat expect to have a cheat-free partner afterwards. What goes around comes around.
OBSERVATION/QUESTIONS:
1. For one, Odun was never lonely. Oh yes! Especially not with Morenike constantly flocking around him. Why then did he marry a girl he knew won’t love him back? That was pure selfishness in my opinion and probably a way to flex his wealthy muscles. Can we then say based off of this that Odun deserved what he got in the end?
2. Wunmi Toriola did great in the first scene but in her second appearance in the third act of the film, she seemed to have over acted. Her performance or interpretation of that scene was somewhat exaggerated for the circumstances.
3. Morenike (Femi’s mother) was passed off as a great diviner and spiritual figure in the community. It was however underwhelming for how things turned out in the end. She appeared to have been rendered powerless for whatever reason. This then weakened the build up for what we held on to from the start.
4. The transitions sometimes appeared abrupt. It feels like some scenes were taken off. Probably to cut down on the overall duration. The pacing & sequencing were just fine so not sure why this is.
5. We never saw the friendship between Funmi and Banke (portrayed by Efe Irele) grow or blossom. Hence, it wasn’t believable that they were ever that close friends in the first place. Perhaps, a flashback for how they shared fun times chatting and spending some time together would have made the betrayal hit harder.
6. Funmi’s baby bump wasn’t even showing yet, next she had already moved on. Wasn’t there supposed to be a period of mourning? To me, this aspect did not paint an ideal picture of the culture we are made to believe is in existence.
7. I’m yet to understand why the writer chose to end the story this way. With this one slightly different, its tragedy reminds me of Zulu Sufola’s “WEDLOCK OF THE gods” novel with Uloko & Ogwoma being the lead characters. I guess the writer took some inspiration from that piece.
8. The final poïsoning, was it by the ghost or by Funmi herself cos she kept saying otherwise? I’d really like to know please.
CONCLUSION:
Despite its flaws as with many others, “FARMER’S BRIDE” which took on a rather bold storytelling approach was a good watch. Rated 18, parents should keep this away from younger viewers as it contains explicit scenes (though without much exposure). Unpredictable, relatable, compelling, engaging, entertaining, interesting and captivating, this comes recommended.
VERDICT: 7.5/10
Have you seen this? What did you think?
ers
