Title: FRIENDS & LOVERS (Full Story)

Starring: Belinda Effah, Okey Ozoeshi, Ken Erics, Meg Otanwa

Synopsis:

A career woman that was hell bent on winning back the heart of her ex-boyfriend unexpectedly finds love elsewhere.

Review:

Estelle (Belinda Effah) was on top of her game when it came to her career but her love life was a mess. She was in love with a man that was still in love with his ex.  

She hired a private detective to trail him and although she had solid proof that he was cheating, she was still determined to make it work. Ijeoma (Meg Otanwa), her best friend, encouraged her to end the relationship but Estelle believed it was better to fight for her man. 

Shortly after, Ijeoma reported that she too had experienced the misfortune of a cheating man and the women devised a plan to spy on each other’s boyfriends. This method allowed them to offer an “outside” perspective on each other’s relationship and avoid making emotional decisions. 

Part of Estelle’s plan to win her boyfriend back was to use her co-worker to make him jealous. Not only did her co-worker have a secret crush on her; she was surprised when she felt a spark for him.

Just when Estelle discovered a new love interest, her ex-boyfriend had an abrupt change of heart and wanted her back. 

Let’s Talk. This is a drama that is motivated by the relationships between men and women. Whether male and female relationships can be strictly platonic has been explored time and time again but there can also be issues between female friendships. 

When Ijeoma advised Estelle to break up with her disloyal boyfriend, Estelle questioned the friendship. Their contrasting views on the situation resulted in a rift their relationship. But “misery loves company” transpired when Ijeoma was cheated on by her boyfriend and Estelle suddenly took her back.   

In terms of the lovers segment of the movie, it was the same ‘ol, same ‘ol. Men cheated because they could and the loss of their girlfriends sparked that all too familiar revelation where they examined their hearts and then rushed to rekindle the relationship. 

The pacing of the movie was sluggish and although it did raise some good points. There was more general conversation than witty conversation and that caused it to suffer. 

What’s questionable about the story was why Estelle was so in love with her boyfriend? The story starts in the middle and as far as what was shown of the boyfriend, there was nothing dynamic about him. 

A question that came up in the movie was the proverbial “what does the other woman have that I don’t?” Here’s the answer: It really isn’t a matter of one woman being better; it’s a matter of perception. A man may see something in one woman that attracts him but that doesn’t necessarily make one woman better than the next. A woman should never lose confidence just because a man is incapable of seeing her value.  

Performances? Decent. Belinda Effah did what she does best – she carried the movie. 

As for technical issues, the sound wasn’t the best. In some scenes there was an awful noise going on in the background. Turning up the volume only made it worse. 

What’s commendable about “Friends & Lovers” is that Estelle, the main character, actually evolved. Estelle went from being a naive and desperate woman to a woman that discovered self worth. Two thumbs up on that. 

Ultimately, this is one of those “feel good” movies that won’t keep you on the edge of your seat but it gets a pass for its message of empowerment. RECOMMEND