Written by Stephanie Dadet, At Ease tells the story of a Nigerian Army Major, Ifeanyi Agbo, who battles PTSD, which resulted from surviving a bomb blast during a mission against insurgents in his country. As if the trauma is not enough, Agbo’s wife abandons him in depression while on his therapeutic journey to recovery.
At Ease features lots of actors I’ve never heard of. I think this made me view the actors as their characters instead of what would have been obtainable had the characters been played by popular celebrities. The cast includes Abundance Effiong, Ayo Emmanuel, Temple Ikechukwu, Seun Ladeinde, Ikechukwu Omenaihe, Martinez Odion Omokhion, Victoria Ovogbo Ekwutosi, Anee Icha, Asaah Samuel, Keppy Ekpenyong-Bassey, Rekiya Attah, Odunaro Emmanuel, Tony Goodman, Olivia Eyiyemi Rogbinyin, and Nadine Love amongst others.
Samuel Asa’ah did well in portraying Agbo in this movie directed by a debutant, Seun Richards. Asa’ah’s performance made Agbo’s suicidal tendencies believable, as I felt the world was crashing down on him. The writer did well in developing the characters. This single act that was not rushed gives viewers enough time to understand each character and how they contribute to the story.
Solid acting was also displayed by Anee Icha who gave me a glimpse into what partners or family members of PTSD patients go through. It was almost as if she was going through a mental breakdown – the level of performance she delivered. I can’t help but commend the child actor Emmanuel Odunaro whose performance is far above what I regularly get from Nollywood child actors. His emotional outburst when his dad refused to play with him was convincing.
The shooting scenes in At Ease didn’t impress me, neither did they let me down. They were just within budget and sometimes appear above what the budget could provide. However, they served the purpose of action. Sadly, the movie didn’t dwell much on the war aspect, which should have been the case since the story centred around a soldier.
The only outstanding costume is the army uniform worn by Agbo. I thought the directors ought to have made the hostages wear hijab as common with what Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists subject their hostages to. Makeup was a bit off for me, especially the beards worn by Agbo and the extra hair added to his hairline which had a darker color than his natural hair.
The film has no distinct look as common with most Nollywood movies. The color grading is too faded, thereby lacking the rich contrast that would have added to the traumatic feel the directors were aiming for. The cinematography is not attractive. Even though the movie was on a small budget, I still must criticise that aspect because I’ve seen budgets of the same calibre deliver impressive cinematography. The sound production, though good, often failed in that it overshadowed some of the dialogue.
At Ease gives hope to those facing PTSD. It makes it possible for them to see that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. For this reason, At Ease is a recommendable movie. It gets a 5/10 rating.
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