A Lagos Love Story tells the story of two sisters and their struggles to make it in life after the passing of their mother, who left them with an ailing dad. One of the sisters is into fashion, while the other stumbles into artiste management, during which she met a reigning Afrobeat singer, King Kator. Their controversial meeting blossomed into romance and the fulfilment of dreams.
One thing I like about this movie is that it came with a new concept: fusing music and romance. I like how the director showcased the life of King Kator, which is exactly how one would expect the life of an Afrobeat singer. However, the movie’s concept is wrapped in the same old genre of poor girl meets rich guy and captures his heart after an initial tough time. A Lagos Love Story sells the concept seen in Love in Every Word, where a lady is fortunate to meet a well-to-do guy. Sadly, this concept will ruin the mentality of young girls out there because they might develop this Disney Princess mindset that believes there is an extremely rich Prince Charming out there waiting for them.
Directed by Chinaza Onuzo, the movie stars Jemima Osunde, Susan Pwajok, Mike Afolarin, Chimezie Imo, Uche Montana, Veeiye, Ihuoma Linda Ejiofor, IK Osakioduwa, and Uti Nwachukwu.
One thing threw me off in the opening scene: the part where King Kator meets Promise. They collide accidentally, fall into each other’s arms, and are lost for a moment while staring into each other’s eyes. That scene can only happen in Bollywood. It was ridiculous and too pushed.
The costume in this movie is your normal outing attires. I must, however, commend the costume department for the way King Kator was styled, which made him look like singer Asake.
Mike Folarin did extremely well with the way he moved around like a true Afrobeat singer. He portrayed the swag and mannerism that made his role convincing. Even when he performed on stage, I couldn’t help but think he was Asake. My wife also said the same thing.
I don’t think Uti Nwachukwu should have played the role of King Kator’s manager. I don’t even know the kind of role that fits him. As for Jemima Osunde, I’ll give her kudos, but I wasn’t blown away. The lady who played her sister was on point, especially in the emotional scenes. I need to see more of her in roles. Itele d Icon was awesome in the scene he featured in. His Omo Ita swag was on point and not pushed at all. I always seem to enjoy seeing him in movies.
I won’t want to bore you with the technical aspect because nothing stood out. However, the street party scene was awesome and well-choreographed, making it feel real. It reminded me of local street jams held in different neighbourhoods every Christmas season in Nigeria. The lighting of the scene was good. I wondered how they got away with using fireworks when such had been banned in Lagos as far back as 2021. Maybe that scene was shot in some other state or perhaps before the ban.
A Lagos Love Story is one feel-good movie that might not leave an impression on you, but it is still worth seeing. I rate it 6/10.
