For a Nollywood flick, ‘A Night in 2005’ surprisingly holds evergreen potential; not just because of the socially-conscious overtone of its messaging, but as a result of the clever framing of the movie’s resolution.
The subject matter of the movie is bee-hived around rape, and all its surrounding nastiness; a well-explored premise by many Nollywood practitioners, and even though the storytelling ventures into familiar quarters, Temidayo Makanjuola- the producer of the movie, conjures up a narrative so emotionally gripping that it sets ‘A Night in 2005’ apart from many other rape-themed flicks.
Ini-Dima Okojie is an apotheosis of emotions; easily one of the most creatively expressive Nollywood talents around, and as expected she delivers, knocking this particular movie out of the park. She embodies Ife; a deeply-troubled, trauma-laden young woman raped at a prom party on, as you might have guessed, ‘A Night in 2005’, setting the stage for an emotional pursuit of justice and payback.
Unable to move on after the jarring incident, despite her Mother’s self-serving insistence for her to do so; Ife’s trauma and guilt spill over, hindering her ability to find love.
On the other hand, her molester, Opeyemi Dada, expertly played by Efa Iwara, finds ambition in the race to become Governor of Lagos State, and even with a supportive wife by his side, Opeyemi manages to slink away from time to time to a ‘baddie’ he keeps in the shadows.
Backed by Nigeria’s cinema powerhouse, Filmhouse Cinemas, ‘A Night in 2005’ features a formidable cast of young actors who are holding their own, supported by the ambit of veteran Nollywood actress, Bimbo Akintola, who plays the role of Ife’s ambitiously-ambivalent mother, and Iretiola Doyle who plays Opeyemi’s formidable mum.
The story’s gait is familiar but well woven into the plot, using the element of suspense and avoidance, so we are left wanting to see how the rape actually happened, long after coming to terms with the characters.
The narrative of ‘A Night in 2005’ rings true, successfully replicating reality, but like many of these stories, all the players are perfectly ‘villianized’. This gives the characters no room for remorse, guilt or reflective trauma; so Opeyemi Dada for example, even after being caught, remained irrationally-unrepentant, preferring to tackle the situation with threats rather than treaties.
