A painful secret, a vengeful woman, a crafty gentleman, and an unsuspecting young woman caught in a web of lies. If you look for a moral in this film, you may not find one easily. New Nollywood films seem to have one thing in common: a moral is hardly emphasized. It can be said, however, that The Set Up hints at female empowerment. Most of the lead characters are intelligent women who have managed to bypass the obstacles of a man’s world.
The Set Up, directed by Niyi Akinmolayan, is a crime drama film written by Naz Onuzo. In its opening scenes, it introduces two women: Grace and Chike, as they escape from the former’s abusive home. The two women are kindred spirits in terms of having suffered abuse. Chike’s late father was a gangster, and Grace’s father is happy to sell his daughter’s body for profit. After their escape, the two women become successful drug dealers. The real story starts when they are recruited by an older woman simply referred to as Madame. Madame is a lavish spender, and we soon learn that the source of her wealth lies in her ability to execute intricate plots of deceit and blackmail. Madame seems to have a personal vendetta against men.
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After these opening scenes, we meet Edem and the Elesho family. Edem is a sly man who has set his sights on Motunrayo Elesho, a reckless young heiress. Edem enlists the help of Chike, who agrees to use her skills in deceit to ‘help’ Edem marry the heiress. This is where the trouble starts. Chike soon realizes that things are more complicated than she thought, and in this particular game of lies, she may have bitten off more than she can chew.
The cinematography of The Set Up strikes you immediately. The incredible camera work, executed by Muhammad Atta, definitely gives the film a big bonus; equipping The Set Up with the crisp and stimulating shots and scenes that we have all come to expect from Niyi Akinmolayan films. The plot is full of intricate twist and turns. The backstory of each character is presented in different sections, and we are often transported from the present to the past and back to the present again. Because the storyline is so complicated, there is the risk of the actors failing to meet the ambition of the director. There are a few mistakes in makeup and performance, but The Set Up is able to reach its ending intact. Since its release, the positive reviews have been overwhelming.
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Adesua Etomi is Chike, Kehinde Bankole is Grace, and Tina Mba is Madame. Jim Iyke plays the part of Edem, Joke Jacobs is Mr. Elesho’s widow, Dakore Egbuson-Akande is Motunrayo Elesho, and Ayoola Ayolola is Bamidele Elesho. The Set Up presents three generations of Nollywood actors, and each one gives this film the best of their abilities as performers.
The Set Up was showing in cinemas for at least six weeks. It was released in cinemas nationwide on the 9th of August 2019 and was still running strong on the 20th of September. It was one of the highest-grossing films in that time, earning a cumulative revenue of more than 53 million Naira at the box office.
Watch the trailer below:
Sources:
CeaNigeria
Medium
Thisdaylive
Pulse NG
Featured Image Source: Esther Adeniyi
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