Symphony is a good watch, relatable and beautifully crafted. In the film, regrets take the edge as many words are left unsaid…
By Blessing Chinwendu Nwankwo
What is there not to love in the new musical, Symphony? Oraka Nvy Nnayelu’s new Nollywood movie unravels societal vices spearheaded by one of the worst plight of Nigerian youths, police brutality. It highlights the harassment, unjustified arrests and invasion of privacy experienced by struggling youths, in the hands of officers of the law. The movie excels as a vérité and lives up to its title as it serenades the viewers with well-crafted soundtracks and performances.
The Nollywood movie, Symphony was a joint production by EverRise Entertainment and Sulcata Entertainment was released in cinemas on September 9th, 2022, and follows many themes, each of which it beautifully executes. The movie is a piece of art that pays adequate attention to detail and subtly tackles societal failures and their resultant effects. Set to launch alongside the premiere is a music album containing original soundtracks and performances from the movie. It features some artistes who made screen appearances during the movie’s tour scenes.
Symphony does not boast of many locations but delivers just enough to make the movie a delightful watch. Sharing a similar narrative as Bolanle Austen-Peters’s Collision Course, the nollywood film highlights the height of police brutality on young people with clips and recordings from the quite memorable EndSars revolution in 2020.
Symphony follows the story of Slade. Young Slade may not have had a rosy childhood, but he had one thing: a dream, and a grandmother who raises him and is his support system. Slade, played by Kaleb “Mo’ Kross” Iyoha, carries his grandmother like a treasure. He spends all his time and the money he earns on her. His music soon hits the social media spaces, and he becomes the next big thing. On the side, ace entertainer and music producer, Oladapo “D’Banj” Oyebanjo plays Dj Bang, a talent developer and label owner. The interview with an OAP, Ogundairo Oluwaseun, implies that the artiste, King Lyrikal (Efa Iwara), had left the label after three years instead of the proposed five years in the contract. However, Dj Bang has no interest in suing, as we see him do on so many occasions in the movie.
Soon, Dj Bang picks interest in Slade and asks Lolitha to fix a meeting. Lolitha (Sandra Okunzuwa) is young and dreamy and shares a close bond with her father. She’s an artiste with Bang Label, and is often under-estimated for being privileged. Lolitha reminds me of the amazingly talented Dj Cuppy. She is referred to as daddy’s princess by her producer, Dj Sweet Sound (Daniel Abua) and her mother refers to her interest in music as a phase, sponsored by her father. Like Cuppy, most people believe Lolitha is only in music because her father can afford the studio sessions. When Slade meets Lolitha at a party, it seems like it will become the classic “boy meets girl” story. However, Lolitha is quick to get things done, and Slade is quick to seize the opportunity.
Symphony gathers a stellar cast that includes Ghanaian actress, Jackie Appiah; Lanre Hassan (Iya Awero), Kalu Ikeagwu, Scarlet Gomez, and Bolaji Amusan (Mr Latin), among others. It also features a few other celebrities (whose appearance add no relevance to the movie), such as socialite Mike Eze-Nwalie Nwogu (Pretty Mike of Lagos), and Niyi Lawal (ex-BBNaija season 6 housemate). Making their acting debut, D’Banj, alongside Kenyan singer, Tanasha Donna ace their roles.
The movie adopts the themes of family, love, dreams, fear, and heartbreak. From the chilling prologue to the final moments, each scene marries the other, and none is left unaccounted for. The story may not be original, but it has a fresh perspective. Symphony does not try to paint a glitz and glamour image for musicians; rather, it lets us in on the challenges faced by up-and-coming artistes. First is ignorance and desperation, which makes most of them go into enslaving contractual agreements and appearances. Many people, myself inclusive, up to this moment believed that being signed by a label comes with a huge cash gifting. But a deep inquiry revealed otherwise.
The acting from the cast is applaudable, from the new look of Iwara to Slade’s stage meltdown. The attention to detail is an advantage in the film, especially the mention of the Headies Awards. Slade gets nominated for the award of Next Rated in Headies, and quickly calls his girlfriend, Lolitha, to break the news. However, the call ends with an “I love you” that never gets a reply. Right after he gets off the phone, his car is pulled over by policemen, and Slade’s facial expression said it all—disgust, irritation and anger. Soon they start to harass him, especially since he done a video criticising the Force for their unwarranted attack on young people. Slade gets shot, and the policemen flee the scene. Thankfully, the IGP uses recording proof to capture them, and discovers they are not real officers.
The movie offers a simple plot but delves deep into complex societal vices like fraud, insecurity, and police brutality. Two years after the horrid Lekki Massacre on October 20, 2020, there is still news of police harassment and brutality. For instance, there is the reporting on raids and arrests of unarmed students at the University of Port Harcourt, River State, Nigeria.
While Symphony may be sending the same message as Collision Course and Ruggedman’s “Is Police Your Friend?” record, which contains a recording of the Chief Superintendent of Police, Mrs Dolapo Badmus, it embodies and reveals, beyond and above, the typical life of talented African youths, struggling to survive one day at a time.
Symphony may not be the best movie this year, but it exceeds my expectations. It carries a weighty and sensitive topic, which it manages to execute. Symphony gives relevance to the EndSars protest, and meticulously, using the last scene, sends a message of hope to the viewers. Slade is the centre of this work; he embodies the pains and experiences of many young people. And although he gets shot, as many have been in reality, the flickering of his hands gives hope of life.
Although Symphony sets out to be a revolutionary piece of art, it does not totally escape the claws of flaws. The first of these flaw is the sound sync, which makes the movie seem like a recorded voiceover. Also, besides the main characters, Slade and Lolitha, there is no character development for the remaining cast. However, this flaw is overridden by the stellar performance of the cast.
Symphony is a good watch, relatable and beautifully crafted. In the film, regrets take the edge as many words are left unsaid. Lolitha ends the call without responding to Slade’s love confession. Hopefully, she will get a chance to say “I love you too.”
Rating: 3.5/5
Blessing Chinwendu Nwankwo, a film critic, beautician, and accountant, currently writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Feel free to drop your opinion in the comment session below, and connect with her on Twitter @Glowup_by_bee.