Now it’s becoming crazy, as though this is a movie review blog or like I am some kind of film addict. I go through phases and this is just one of them. I can assure you I like the movies but I am in no way a movie buff. Now I know that does not explain how come I have managed to watch 4 movies at the cinema in the space of one week. I stress again this is a movie phase I am going through and I will explain today’s case at least. Today was unusual. It’s Kelechi’s wife’s birthday and he calls to ask if I would be interested in seeing a movie, I jump at the idea because I had not planned anything else. As it goes, he asks if I could go with his wife to the movies so that he can run his errands and meet up with us later for another movie. Yes, I ended up watching 2 movies; we went on to see the movie called ‘Doubt’. I really wanted to see it cos the preview looked like an all familiar plot of a catholic priest that likes small boys and the nun who is out to get him. Anyway, I won’t even go into the plot but there hasn’t been a crappier ending in a movie in a long long while.
After the movie, we decide what movie to see next as we wait for Kelechi, between us we had seen most of the movies so we are down to 2 movies; Notorious and Underworld. Now although the preview for Underworld said thriller, the image looked like horror and I will never intentionally watch a horror movie. My imagination is too creative and I have still not recovered from the days of 'The Exorcist' and I am not about to give my imagination anything more to play with to my detriment. So we agreed to wait till Kelechi arrived to break the tie. As soon as he arrived we presented our dilemma (well I was sure of what I wanted to see) and Kelechi’s view was straight up. He said ‘let’s go and see the movie with black people. You know I am all for black people.’ Without any hesitation we went ahead and bought tickets for Notorious. Now I had already asked what it was like from my sister and she said it was better than expected. So I had fair expectations. Now, it was a movie on the life of the notorious BIG, definitely one of the best rappers that ever graced the earth to some the ‘best’. It was funny in some bits but it was really a sad movie in the end as we all know Biggie is shot at the end. Arrrrrrrrgh! My sis told me that Lil’ Kim didn’t attend the premier because she didn’t like the way she was portrayed. I don’t blame her at all. Within the first 5 minutes of her appearance in the movie, let’s just say I wouldn’t have gone for the premier if I were her. Faith Evans on the other hand was presented as ‘Faithful Faye’. Angela Bassett stars as Biggie’s mum and as usual is typecast to act the hard black woman who has suffered in her life time, single parent trying to raise a kid by herself. I need to see Angela in a softer role. Those roles can only leave one so bitter.
The best part of the movie are all the songs, it really takes you down memory lane, reminded me alot of my Uni days and how we rocked to Biggie and 2pac simultaneously amidst their east coast, west coast war till we watched them both die. Trust yours truly lagosians we were singing the lyrics to the songs. It was nice to test those lyrical skills again. The guy did have a way with words. It was interesting to see the inspiration for the different songs and inspiring to see how dreams can become reality. It was a story but a very short one. How someone could live just 5 years in his career. It brought back memories of the feud between 2pac and Biggie and how it just seemed like a big joke that ended up bad. I heard some songs I didn’t think I would hear again the Lil’ Kim rap in the ‘get money’ track by Junior Mafia, did you ever think you’d hear that name again? Junior Mafia! It was fun listening to songs like Juicy, Sky is the limit, who shot ya, but I can’t remember hearing the songs ‘one more chance’ or ‘mo money, mo problems’. Puffy’s portrayal was funny. Now, I was reminded of how puffy always used to butt-in on the mic spoiling Biggie’s rhymes. We figured that since he was the producer they couldn’t tell him to back off. Even after the movie ended we stood watching the credits and listening to some more Biggie. It was a good movie. Better than the previous one without a doubt but it was also a sad movie to watch. To see a dream become reality and to watch it disappear in such a short time was painful. He was 24 when he died, what a waste of a life it seemed. But I choose to look at the bright side. What he did in his last 5 years a lot of people have not and will never achieve in their lifetime. I miss Biggie, he can’t be replaced , he really was in a league of his own. So that is the story of how I watched 2 movies back to back in one day. There’s always a first time.
Now, there are weird things that happen at the cinema in Nigeria and without a doubt it must be cultural. We talk at the movies. I don’t mean in hush tones, people actually talk and other people do not seem to mind. I mean this is not talk about the movie, this is talk unrelated to the movie. I went to the movies once and a couple behind me talked the entire time, they seemed to be settling an issue which they came to discuss at the movies of all places. I can’t forget cos it was my first and last time at the citymall cinema in Onikan, the place was freezing cold, uncomfortable and as if that wasn’t bad enough there was a power failure right in the middle of the movie. I cannot forget that day because it was Bat man, the dark knight. I couldn’t believe it when I found out how much cheaper it was to see a movie there, I guess I soon got to find out why. There were only 4 of us in the theatre and 2 of them were in an intense conversation and left somewhere in the middle of the movie.
Now I don’t mind commentary because I know I am guilty for that too but at least I am concentrating on the movie. Now the talking is quite bad. How bad? People pick up their phones at the movies in Lagos, and I mean they pick I up and have their conversations comfortably. I would send a text, I wouldn’t’ pick up my phone at the movies but in Lagos people do all the time. How bad is it? On one occasion, my phone being on silent, had the light flashing because someone was calling me. Now, because I was at the movies, I didn’t pick up; my plan was to wait for the phone to stop flashing then send a text or just return the call after the movies. Now there was a lady sitting next to me who had been on the phone having a conversation about a boy that just pissed her off, now her call ends and I guess she was bored and she sees from the flashing light that someone is trying to reach me, she nudges me and says to me ‘your phone is ringing, pick it up.’ Now remember we are at the movies. I was weak; I just said thanks to her and ignored the call.
The other thing we do well at the movies is give commentary. It’s like the kind of commentary you hear on DVDs when you play it with the commentary. Lagosians somehow think they are the movie producers. They exclaim loudly, they give applauses, they talk to the actors on the screen, advise them on what to do and decisions to make. We are just an unusual bunch. A lot of times it is funny stuff I can’t lie that it isn’t fun, but the talking loudly or answering your phone at the movies that is so wrong.
After the movies, I leave and meet up with Ugo who I haven’t seen in yonks. We catch up and talk about what I have been up to and how I have disappeared from his radar and how I should reappear.
I have to give this one to Biggie, for giving me the fond memories and lyrical blisses. And if the movie is anything to go by in terms of his last days on earth, I am convinced that he is in a better place. Any life that can be celebrated after death is truly a life that touched the souls of many.
May your BIG soul rest in Peace.
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