Family Brouhaha is an emotional family drama that pulls you straight into the unresolved trauma, generational conflict, and the corrosive forces of greed associated with most families. Directed by Femi Adebayo, the film is about a wealthy family that got its wealth from the cocoa business. Despite the wealth and heritage, the family is broken by bitterness and silence.
The story kicks off with the death of the family patriarch, a development that is supposed to unite the family in grief. Instead, it becomes a trigger that unleashes decades of tension. The family is caught in a power struggle, with the brothers turning on each other. Subsequent events lead us into the scars, regrets, and secrets of each member that need to be addressed.
The movie stars Femi Adebayo, Odunlade Adekola, Joke Silva, Shaffy Bello, Bimbo Akintola, Wale Ojo, Timini Egbuson, and Fathia Williams, among others.
The standout actors are Femi Adebayo and Odunlade Adekola, who starred as inseparable brothers, displaying chemistry in the scenes they appeared in, especially the ones involving conflicts. Other actors worth considering include Bimbo Akintola and Shaffy Bello, who starred as women trying to maintain peace within the family. Wale Ojo’s performance was a delight to watch because he was trapped in the whole conflict the family was going through. It made it difficult for him to take sides as a relative. Timi Egbuson and Fathia Williams were the younger members of the family who just wanted to be away from the drama. Joke Silva was the central figure in the family, left with managing the chaos left behind by the patriarch. I like how she handled issues in the family, demanding respect and ever willing to wield an invisible stick.
One thing that stood out to me in this movie is the burial ceremony reception, I like how the merry mood instantly became violent, with punches thrown. I couldn’t imagine myself witnessing such drama at an Owambe or someone disrupting my party in that manner. The costume at the reception is the typical Yoruba Aso ebi, and I like that the directors ensured that everyone in that scene dressed in Aso ebi of the same colour and material. The same was on display when the family wore white native attire and yellow headties at the cemetery. This movie also had scenes with opulence on display, which set the tone for how rich the family is. I’m talking about private jets, mansions, luxury cars and superb fashion.
The visuals of this movie are not stunning at all. The color grade is just an inch away from Rec. 709. The set design is nothing to write home about. However, I love the scene with a white beach house mansion surrounded by coconut trees and artificial green lawn. The use of depth of field in that scene made the picture awesome, placing focus on the characters, thereby attracting interest to the tense mood on display. This movie uses flashbacks to tell its story. But I think Nollywood should be past that pattern by now.
I must admit that I enjoyed watching this movie and believe my readers will too. It is packed with drama, slight action and a bit of comedy. I rate it 7/10.
