Warning, spoiler alert!
If you’re perhaps you’re here and haven’t seen the CITATION movie, we regret to inform you that this post might sway your opinion regarding whether to see the movie.
Let us Begin,
Like most Nigerian movies on Netflix this year, from Living in Bondage to Oloture, CITATION gets an above-average score for the story which centres on sexual assault in a Nigerian Univerisity along with the movie’s cinematography and the acting.
Netflix’s latest Nigerian Original, “Citation,” is a drama about sexual assault that happens on campuses, and is alleged to be based on true events. The movie does justice in depicting how normalized rape culture is, due to oppressive assumptions related to gender or sexuality.
Director Kunle Afolayan delivers a film that amplifies the work of Journalists like Kiki Mordi whose Documentary Sex for grades just like this movie extends well beyond Nigeria’s borders.
A few people had the sour opinion that Temi Otedola was given the lead role in this film to secure funding from her father and while we believe this is balderdash if it is true, then it was sure money well spent.
This won’t be the first time we’re getting a new on-screen face with prior influence, but it surely is one of the best. That said, I’ve broken this review into three parts for proper addressing and scrutiny.
THE INSUFFERABLE WIG
As if the Antagonist “Lucien” was not antagonizing enough, the creators of this movie gave him a headpiece which if you looked close enough during his closeup scenes you’d notice the bonding glue and strands of Kinky bulk hair attached to his head.
While this character could perfectly do bad all by himself, I think the wig added a little Je ne sais quoi in making him more disgusting, so perhaps awful hair was more of a creative choice than.
Temi Otedola as lead character Moremi Oluwa alongside, actor Jimmy Jean-Louis and the Infamous Wig.
THE LENGTHY STORY
Despite the powerful message in this movie, we hope movie directors do not bring back this nasty habit of filling movies with unnecessarily lengthy scenes that push their movies to run into two hours or more. and above. If we’re being honest, some scenes in the movie brought little to no value for the overall film.
THE LANGUAGE
Infusing French, Yoruba and a drizzle of Portuguese in this film did a lot to giving it a more Pan-African feel, which was a hit in this case. There was still a little voice whispering to me in all this that said, “Was this to qualify for the foreign film category at the Oscars?” we all know what went down last year with Lionheart and JOY.
Scenes from Citation shot at Dakar Senegal.
THE ACTORS
While seeing this movie, I got more of a “Actors were offered the roles” rather than an open cast call, even though we got to see a few new faces, it still felt like a survival of the most connected, which worked pretty well for the entirety of the film.
Speaking of this, there was a cameo scene with the director where one of the characters who happens to be his brother in real life, introducing him as his brother in the movie. I couldn’t help but feel like a forced ” Stan Lee” moment, or maybe they were just being economical and it is I who is reading much more into it.
VERDICT
You’d be a fool to not see this movie because of anyone’s opinion. If not for the wonderful story and par acting. See it for that appalling set up on Lucien’s head. #doitforthewig.
CITATION is out on Netflix, do not illegally download the movie, remember God is watching you.