I saw this movie, produced by Enah Johnscott, about four months ago on movie box. It was recommended to me by a friend and it left an impression in me...the effect of a good movie with powerful storytelling!
PLOT SUMMARY
Half Heaven is a movie that tells the story of Kisito (Rolland Seehofer) who is transferred/sent to Mboko (a dreaded, immoral and dangerous lair) by a superior to preach the Gospel of Christ to the people with the hopes and ulterior motive that he would meet a dead end.
Obeying the call and travelling down to the town 'that doesn’t know God,' Kisito meets Bisona (Syndy Emade) who runs a brothel.
Stranded, having initially been rubbed on his way down and ripped off of his money and belongings, Bisona offers Kisito a place to stay in the only place she knows and shares with other call-girls
Bisona has a boyfriend Tita (Chidi Mokeme) who is feared by all and has been away for a long time having issues with the Police due to his modus operandi.
What happens when Tita returns? How would Bisona keep Kisito from Tita? What impact would Kisito’s presence have on Mboko and its people? Will he influence them, or will they influence him?
MY THOUGHTS
First of all, i must say that i honestly loved the Cameroonian Pidgin English used here. It’s similar to Nigeria’s but with a different flavor to it! This was an absolutely unique storyline, and they delivered.
Loved the theme of redemption, hope, faith, restitution, and forgiveness. Loved the twist in the end.
Now, while this movie started rather confusing and slow, it, however, picked itself right up soon enough. It’s engaging, entertaining, compelling, relatable, etc!
The setting, location, ambiance, camera angles, and interpretation of roles, especially from Syndy Emade and Rolland Seehofer, were impeccable!
That said, these are the flaws that I observed:
Firstly, the duration was too long as it dragged initially. The plot could have been easily executed for less time.
Secondly, how Kisito was able to put up with Bisona, living in the brothel for that long, was off-putting for me. Couldn’t he have been able to find a way to reach out to his head pastors in the city to send aids enough for him to rent a place of his own?
Thirdly, Tita(Chidi Mokeme) was brought in way too late into the movie. I was almost thinking his name being on the poster was just a click bait. If I hadn't been patient enough to see the movie, I may never have believed that he was a part of it.
Lastly, they kept the juiciest part of the movie to the last parts of the movie, which then felt rushed. To me, the movie didn’t have as much light until Chidi Mokeme came on board, and then, in a snap, it was all over.
Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I'm not sure I’ve seen the lead actress Syndy Emade in another movie. I look forward to seeing her in another film cause she’s good. Rolland Seehofer gave a class act too! And of course, Chidi did not disappoint…he gave the effect that only he knows to give.
Overall, it was an interesting watch and I'll give it a 6.5/10.
Thanks for stopping by.
SOKA 🖤