Finding Me is a Nollywood movie that grabs your attention right from the beginning. It takes you into the world of Tinuke, a woman in a toxic marriage where her sense of worth is diminished. She’s constantly belittled by her husband, Kolawole, leaving her with no confidence. Every effort she makes to make things work is always rejected by Kolawole, who queries her fashion sense, weight and seduction. She has to always tiptoe around him to survive another day in their marriage.
The movie stars Funke Akindele as Tinubu and Joseph Benjamin as Kolawole. It also stars Omoni Oboli, Femi Adebayo, Efa Iwara, Tina Mba, and Shaffy Bello.
Funke Akindele did well in portraying Tinuke, delivering the character’s emotions in an original way. I could sense her pain, sadness and the occasional happiness she gets. Joseph Benjamin didn’t fail in playing his role as well. Kola is the character you hate right away due to the actor’s delivery. He comes across as unfeeling, scheming, and vicious, hurling emotional abuse with no care for his wife. He messes with Tinuke’s mind and dictates her every action with no compliment given for her effort to satisfy him. To be honest, some scenes were tough to sit through, but that’s what made the performances outstanding. The situations felt almost too lifelike. The other cast brought in their A-game, especially Shaffy Bello, though most of them only appeared in a few scenes.
Although the plot is familiar because almost every movie industry in the world has given us tales of troubled marriage, divorce and infidelity, Finding Me stands out because it takes viewers on a woman’s journey to discovering her self-worth. In this movie, Tinuke meets Anthony who shows her kindness and respect, all of which she lacked in her marriage. And for the first time, she begins to believe she’s worthy of more.
If you see this movie, be guaranteed to experience a range of feelings, from sympathy to rage and even discomfort. There were scenes where I cheered for Tinuke and there were others where I couldn’t help but feel disappointed at her because she pushed herself too hard for an undeserving person. I couldn’t help but put myself in her shoes to see if I could stomach half of what she went through.
Tinuke’s best friend, Sarah, is the kind of friend everyone needs, especially in troubling times. She was always there for her and ensured she was in the right state of mind for when she met Anthony, a breath of fresh air, who was calm and caring. His relationship with Tinuke felt authentic and one could see that Tinuke finally found where she truly belongs.
I believe the movie was too lengthy and packed with some unnecessary drama and plots that were not concluded. An example is Tinuke and her father. That plot was not explored enough, and it left me wondering why it was included. Some scenes could have been shortened without losing any of the important stuff.
A great effort went into making this movie, from character development to the linking of plots. It’s clear that the filmmakers were passionate about telling a meaningful story, and they succeeded.
I have nothing to say about the cinematography because nothing stood out to me, and I don’t think I saw anything awkward. I was so immersed in the story that I didn’t notice flaws. While this review may present the story as emotional, viewers should expect action, comedy and the usual Nollywood drama associated with Funke Akindele’s movies.
Finding Me truly deserves recognition. I’d rate it a solid 7 out of 10.
