This movie titled “KADARA” is a 2022 Ghanaian release. Directed by Kwame Kyei Baffour, the movie with a runtime of 1hour 47minutes is produced by Kofi Mulan and is currently streaming on Prime Video with subscription.

Synopsis: (MAY include spoilers) 

Yasira (Habiba Sinare) has just moved to her hometown where she’s decided to serve in one of the local grammar schools. She meets with Jamil (Anthony Woode) who practically FALLS in love with her at first sight.

Things aren’t particularly going as Yasira had envisaged as she’s met with lots of obstacles at every turn. Will she succeed in her quest to enforce change? Is this mission impossible or mission accomplished?

Well, why not grab your popcorn and or favourite drink, munch and sip along as you follow events unfold in this drama!

MY TAKE:
Straight up, this movie stressed me! 

 Lost count how many times I had to rewind to make sense of some parts. I’m not even joking! It took off on a rather weak note and progressed in a confusing manner. Continuity and/or the editors are to be blamed for this! 

 Wish I could put this any milder!

Although the lead actors are a beautiful sight to behold especially Habiba Sinare (God, that lady is effortlessly beautiful, face laced with all the perfect features), the story however isn’t an exciting one or that which we’ve never seen before dramatised a million times over.

The plot itself did not try to salvage what was left of the storytelling approach which appeared to have been basic.

I couldn’t help but think about how the setting of this film reminds me of “Tales By Moonlight” which used to be aired on NTA back in the day (do they still show this on telly these days? You know when the storyteller starts the narration and then it transitions to a visualisation of the story…yeah, that bit! This movie felt like those visuals in the popular children TV series.

That was quite nostalgic for me to be honest. Loved the tourist game reserve. I also appreciate the background soundtrack, it’s befitting for the genre. This movie attempted to address gender equality and the call to disabuse society from child-marriage and the betrothal system.

OBSERVATION/QUESTIONS:
1. The first two scenes did not do it for me. What was that slap for? 

 It took me getting to the middle of the film, becoming confused as to what was going on and having to rewind back to the beginning of this movie to realise that those first scenes were actually a foreshadowing! 

 A simple editing could have indicated that and helped me in my misery!

2. How did Yasira suddenly become so much in love with Jamil all so quickly when she made us believe initially that she was uninterested? 

 This then made for some inconsistencies in the story.

3. Speaking of inconsistencies, there were scenes that just jumped right straight to the next and you wonder…and if you’re like me, have to rewind to see if you missed a thing! This is why I mentioned earlier that the movie stressed me. 

4. Now, I don’t mean this in the wrong way but at first I thought this was an Hausa Nollywood drama cos of the dress sense, Muslim names and some other factors. Still confusing especially given the accent from Kofi Adjorlolo and some others (who often equally appear in Nollywood movies, it was only when Jamil’s brother requested for GHC 2 (2 Ghana Cedis) that it dawned on me that it was a Ghallywood movie.

5. The movie appeared to have lost track of the reason why Yasira moved to serve in her hometown in the first place as it quickly dwelt and focused more on forced marriages and the fight for love.

6. Girl gets beaten and next thing, she goes back to look for the boy for whom she was beaten? And she’s supposed to be exposed and well learned? 

 Please make it make sense. That wasn’t only unrealistic, it was downright dumb. Not that the extent of their love was even established.

7. I was still waiting for the connection between the foreshadowing and the progression of the film. We’re made to understand that Yasira grew up in that town/village. How come the practice of the village was new or strange to her? 

8. How did Jamil’s mom go from blowing hot from like A THOUSAND DEGREES to what she later became in the end. That switch was just too sudden if you ask me! 

9. What was going on with Jamil’s brother? Is he autistic or just trying to serve as a means for comic relief in the movie? His character wasn’t clear here cos if it was meant to be funny, it didn’t fly for me! 

Overall, this didn’t do it for me as much as I had hoped! From an unfresh story to a stale plot and to a disappointing direction.

The message or target was kinda disjointed struggling whether to portray Love or the theme of early child marriage as obtainable in the Northern region of Ghana (as we’re made to understand in this film).

Just when I thought the ending was gonna be something to applaud, it just had to take the most cliche turn ever.