Starring: Seun Akindele, Bayray McNwizu, Frederick Leonard

Synopsis:
After years of marriage, a woman is suddenly dissatisfied with her average husband when her newly acquired friends boast wealthy men.

Review:
Things looked up when Victor (Seun Akindele) was promoted to Senior Partner. The climb up the corporate ladder offered many benefits including the new home that he shared with his daughter and wife, Nonye (Bayray McNwizu).

New friends came with the territory but Nonye began to reconsider the marriage when she associated with rich women in the community. Soon she wanted a bigger wedding ring, designer clothes, and a new car, all of which didn’t fit into Victor’s financial plans. This unforeseen rift in their marriage intensified when Nonye met Damien (Frederick Leonard), a handsome tycoon that promised her the world.

Let’s Talk. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side is the heart of this story. We have a married couple on different pages of the relationship where pretentious friends manipulated decisions. It’s a dialogue-driven story which equates attention is required.

At the core, it was a methodical exploration of why some marriages fail. Money is a common reason and here, the husband wanted to make financial investments but the wife wanted to splurge.

What was interesting were the fake friendships. Friends can actually be enemies as jealousy and resentment sometimes lurk beneath the surface. Nonye’s “friends” encouraged extravagant spending as well as her infidelity. While she was impressed with their “appearances” she didn’t realize there was more beneath the facades.

Two things didn’t ring true: 1) Nonye made it so obvious that she was cheating. She gave her husband too many red flags when in reality women are masters at hiding affairs. 2) The dinner scene that revealed Adesuwa was being abused was too contrived. There should have been a smoother way to convey her marital issues.

Also noted is the jarring scene where Damien (Frederick Leonard) revealed his perversion. I mean, really? Who does that? What a sick twist in the story.

Performances were praiseworthy. Seun Akindele stole my heart in this role and quite frankly, I’m still trying to get it back! He delivered an honesty and wholesomeness that’s rarely seen in male characters. Kudos! Frederick Leonard effortlessly integrated suave with sleazy while Bayray McNwizu gave a credible performance as the wannabe material girl.

As for technical issues, sound was a little muffled in some areas. Video sufficed.

“Discontent” is a testament that couples with contrasting agendas eventually grow apart. The moral of the story? Money can’t buy happiness. Live a life of gratitude. RECOMMEND