Reel Love is a romance comedy movie about a popular relationship influencer, Tomide Jobi, whose reputation got destroyed after a video of him arguing with a woman went viral on social media. He had to fake a romance with the lady, Rita Monday as a way of buying back his reputation. While Tomide got that advice from his girlfriend, Rita was also being advised by her friend to use the opportunity to grow a reputation even though she never wanted to be popular.
Directed by Kayode Kasum, the movie stars Timini Egbuson, Atlanta Bridget Johnson, Shaffy Bello, Muyiwa Ademola, Funke Akindele, Bimbo Ademoye, Dakore Egbuson-Akande, Efa Iwara, Lilian Afegbai and TJ Omusuku amongst others.
One thing this movie showcases is that relationships can spring out of nowhere, even when they are being staged for gain. The fake relationship between Tomide and Rita looked so real that it got them endorsements and sponsorship from brands. I like how the plot of this movie transformed the fake relationship into a real one with intense feelings for each other. Although I still think it was very hasty with a poor build-up. Reading the synopsis is enough to make anyone see such coming. So, the directors should have played around before making viewers feel what the fake lovers felt, which made them conclude they had feelings for each other.
This movie’s strong point is the use of social media. It showcases how social media is a world of its own and how people could live two lives – one in the real world, while the other on social media which is most times fake.
One drawback of Reel Love is the deviation from the fake relationship to the family struggles the fake lovers face. I didn’t see the point in bringing their family struggles to light. I think it was just to give Tomide’s girlfriend a reason to catch him hugging Rita when he was comforting her after she lost a loved one. Other than that, the movie would have done well to just focus more on the fake relationship.
On the technical aspect, I thought I saw a boom microphone in one of the scenes, an error that shows unprofessionalism. How on earth did that skip the attention of the directors on set and also the editor? Visually, Reel Love is not bad but a good step in the right direction. I’m still yet to come across a Nollywood movie that will blow my mind in terms of color grading.
Nothing to say about the costume department. What you will see in this movie is exactly what you get in romance comedy movies. Just high-end casual outfits and nightgowns.
Reel Love is recommended for lovers, especially those who don’t know how to spark romance. Watching Tomide and Rita and their fake romance is one huge lesson I’ve learnt. It means real romance can spring up from faking it, hence the saying ‘Fake it till you make it.’ Reel Love gets a 6/10 and could have earned more if it wasn’t rushed.
