Cinema review: Subtle humour does not save ‘Deep Fever’ from its weak story

Cinema review: Subtle humour does not save ‘Deep Fever’ from its weak story

The 2017 family drama, Deep Fever, features Femi Jacobs as Ayo, the cheating husband.

Only weeks after the release of the family-drama-thriller, The Guest, Femi features in another film that welcomes mysterious guests (what’s with guest movies lately?), except, this time, he is the guest, together with his wife Ebun (Monalisa Chinda) and his daughter, Damilola.

On the surface, everything seems perfect with the Nwokochas until their guests arrive from the UK (It is always the UK). When Nonye’s (Jackie Appiah) hug with Ayo lingers a little too long, we can already sense that something is fishy.

One commendable thing is how the secret affection is portrayed for the first few minutes of the film with solely nuances; a touch there, a longing stare here. Of course, we know what is coming, and when it does, it is steaming in all the dangerous places: An affair!

Deep Fever quickly hits a climax, however, when Eric (Bobby Michaels) and Ebun find their spouses cheating on them somewhere in the middle of the film, and naturally, the audience’s appetite is even more whetted, considering Eric’s promise to destroy Ayo.

But it is at this point the story begins to lose its grip on its enraptured audience.

There is something about film resolutions that many a filmmaker has yet to figure and this is what plagues this film.

We find then, that the other spouses have actually also been cheating with each other and that both children come from both affairs. I mean, what are the odds?

Then the children die from rain and smoke, or something of the sorts, and then the credits roll. Where is our destruction you promised us?

We have waded through seven seas to get here, where is our bloody destruction?

Looking beyond the disappointment it offers its audience on a platter, Deep Fever gives us a good time.

We are entertained by the sizzling romance and the subtle humour that comes from the fear of being found out.

The love-making scenes are as real as they come. The action is enthralling when it needs to be until we find that it is mostly bark and no bite.

The child actors are impressive; casting children is still an area of struggle for Nollywood but we will get there. The cinematography and sound have no noticeable issues.

Femi Jacobs might need to work on his voice, or is it his diction? I can begin to count movies I have seen him appear in, where we almost always have to strain to hear what he is saying.

There is Uru Eke’s Remember Me, which I had to watch again to finally place his words. There is Daniel Oriahi’s Oko Ashewo, there is Christian Olayinka’s The Guest, Femi’s latest cinema outing before this, and there is still that same problem.

In a bid to sound natural, we hope Femi stops sacrificing audibility.

Jackie Appiah has been scarce on our screens, so it is a delight to see her lovely face again, especially when it comes with all that allure and flirting.

Bobby is fine as the leading man here, and that’s not just because he is good looking. And Monalisa Chinda does magic with her hair, even though this isn’t remotely her best performance yet.

Saeed ‘Funky Mallam’ Muhammed seems here like a waste of talent; he hardly does a thing.

A debut production of Bobby Michaels and directed by Charles Uwagbai, Deep Fever attempts to make up for what it lacks in the strength of its story by its acts and does an average job.

Some scenes go on and on, but the writer, Victor Mobuogwu, manages to tie them up eventually, showing us the need for the length.

Still, we are not spared yawns in the process. It could be better on so many levels, but Deep Fever is a fair attempt.

50%

This review first appeared on TNS