Jenifa 2: The village girl returns
By Agency Reporter
Screenplay: Taiwo Bello, Funke Akindele
As far as movies in 2008 were concerned, one character that many movie buffs may not forget in a hurry is Jenifa. The bush girl from Aiyetoro turned school big girl wannabe has gimmicked her way into the hearts of many a movie lover that the sequel of the movie that came out earlier in the year practically flew off the shelves upon release. Indeed Funke Akindele's character in the movie also titled Jenifa has solidified her A-list status and gained her more popularity even outside the Yoruba film circles, and has even taught its Nollywood counterparts a lesson or two in how to make movies in two parts and make even more money. Â
Without wasting any time, Jenifa 2 picks up from where its first part ended; a party at a night club had mysteriously turned into a ritual den with the party girls as sacrifices to the gods of money. There is confusion as the girls scamper for safety, some of them are killed by yellow skirt-wearing marauder (incidentally the party dress code) while some are chased into a forest that seems to have appeared from nowhere. Fortunately, Jenifa and her friends live to tell the tale and vow to stop their girl-about-town ways. But like a leopard that never sheds its spots, Jenifa is back the following semester 'selling her wares' and plotting new schemes to become the school's ultimate "bigs gal"(big girl).Â
She soon falls into trouble again after she steals some dollars from one of her boyfriends; the said dollars is supposed to bankroll her "twenty wan baiday parry"(twenty one birthday party) and cement her big girl status, but alas, she ends up at the Police Station on the big night but soon seduces her way out of trouble.Â
Soon things start to take a turn as our favourite Aiyetoro citizen gets expelled from school, decides to go back to her village, but like a big fish in a small pond, Jenifa realises the big city is the only way for a bubbling babe like her. Â
Jenifa 2 also chronicles the adventures of her two cohorts - Tracy (Mosunmola Filani) and Becky (Ronke Odusanya). While Becky continues her ways and ends up in the big leagues, Tracy decides to give up the life, but the past, as they say, has a nasty way of creeping up to the present. Â
The Muhydeen-Ayinde directed picture soon veers off its comic lane and attempts a bit of romance with Tracy 's two attempts at love, and even tries to inculcate Becky's domineering of one of her aristoes (Jide Kosoko). It's Funke Akindele's show all the way and when she's not on screen, she is sorely missed and even while they fail to entertain, the two other subplots come off as mere fillers. The scenes involving Becky's aristo are far from engaging, while the ones with Tracy are at best predictable.
True, Akindele's performance is one that stands out. The movie, not exactly an original concept hinges totally on her performance, although sometimes she goes either overboard with the bush girl accent, merely throwing the letter 's' within each word she pronounces, a few times she sneaks in a couple of perfectly pronounced words. But when she hits her mark, she is an absolute delight to watch. Her comical skills are not in doubt, and it is on this that the movie is built. A classic example is the scene where Becky tries to introduce her to anal sex, the naivety in her reaction was unintentionally hilarious.
The circumstances behind Jenifa's expulsion was rather not well thought out, she was expelled after facing a disciplinary panel for examination malpractice. Meanwhile, a girl who brought a handout to the examination hall was given a year's suspension. The whole scene, about five minutes long left so much more to be desired: True that in a Yoruba movie, all actors must speak the language, but a disciplinary committee speaking Yoruba? If the formal scene were to have been done in English, it would have accentuated her incompetence with the language and probably the faulty educational system that admitted her into the university. Â
The months between them notwithstanding, Jenifa 1 and 2 are movies that could have been wrapped into one hilarious yet message-soaked movie, if it were to be stripped of a number of scenes irrelevant to the plot. Overall, the family comedy scores some points for attempting to infuse a message into Funke Akindele's solid comic performance.
The Punch - News, Fresh and Factual
By Agency Reporter
Screenplay: Taiwo Bello, Funke Akindele
As far as movies in 2008 were concerned, one character that many movie buffs may not forget in a hurry is Jenifa. The bush girl from Aiyetoro turned school big girl wannabe has gimmicked her way into the hearts of many a movie lover that the sequel of the movie that came out earlier in the year practically flew off the shelves upon release. Indeed Funke Akindele's character in the movie also titled Jenifa has solidified her A-list status and gained her more popularity even outside the Yoruba film circles, and has even taught its Nollywood counterparts a lesson or two in how to make movies in two parts and make even more money. Â
Without wasting any time, Jenifa 2 picks up from where its first part ended; a party at a night club had mysteriously turned into a ritual den with the party girls as sacrifices to the gods of money. There is confusion as the girls scamper for safety, some of them are killed by yellow skirt-wearing marauder (incidentally the party dress code) while some are chased into a forest that seems to have appeared from nowhere. Fortunately, Jenifa and her friends live to tell the tale and vow to stop their girl-about-town ways. But like a leopard that never sheds its spots, Jenifa is back the following semester 'selling her wares' and plotting new schemes to become the school's ultimate "bigs gal"(big girl).Â
She soon falls into trouble again after she steals some dollars from one of her boyfriends; the said dollars is supposed to bankroll her "twenty wan baiday parry"(twenty one birthday party) and cement her big girl status, but alas, she ends up at the Police Station on the big night but soon seduces her way out of trouble.Â
Soon things start to take a turn as our favourite Aiyetoro citizen gets expelled from school, decides to go back to her village, but like a big fish in a small pond, Jenifa realises the big city is the only way for a bubbling babe like her. Â
Jenifa 2 also chronicles the adventures of her two cohorts - Tracy (Mosunmola Filani) and Becky (Ronke Odusanya). While Becky continues her ways and ends up in the big leagues, Tracy decides to give up the life, but the past, as they say, has a nasty way of creeping up to the present. Â
The Muhydeen-Ayinde directed picture soon veers off its comic lane and attempts a bit of romance with Tracy 's two attempts at love, and even tries to inculcate Becky's domineering of one of her aristoes (Jide Kosoko). It's Funke Akindele's show all the way and when she's not on screen, she is sorely missed and even while they fail to entertain, the two other subplots come off as mere fillers. The scenes involving Becky's aristo are far from engaging, while the ones with Tracy are at best predictable.
True, Akindele's performance is one that stands out. The movie, not exactly an original concept hinges totally on her performance, although sometimes she goes either overboard with the bush girl accent, merely throwing the letter 's' within each word she pronounces, a few times she sneaks in a couple of perfectly pronounced words. But when she hits her mark, she is an absolute delight to watch. Her comical skills are not in doubt, and it is on this that the movie is built. A classic example is the scene where Becky tries to introduce her to anal sex, the naivety in her reaction was unintentionally hilarious.
The circumstances behind Jenifa's expulsion was rather not well thought out, she was expelled after facing a disciplinary panel for examination malpractice. Meanwhile, a girl who brought a handout to the examination hall was given a year's suspension. The whole scene, about five minutes long left so much more to be desired: True that in a Yoruba movie, all actors must speak the language, but a disciplinary committee speaking Yoruba? If the formal scene were to have been done in English, it would have accentuated her incompetence with the language and probably the faulty educational system that admitted her into the university. Â
The months between them notwithstanding, Jenifa 1 and 2 are movies that could have been wrapped into one hilarious yet message-soaked movie, if it were to be stripped of a number of scenes irrelevant to the plot. Overall, the family comedy scores some points for attempting to infuse a message into Funke Akindele's solid comic performance.
The Punch - News, Fresh and Factual
No it ain't "Shency" jo, Boli! Its "selsi"...and she meant "Chelsea".....
