Movie review: ‘Cheaters’ is light, forgettable fluff… And then it stretches it

CHEATERS1

Nollywood/Ghollywood faithful that follow Ghanaian director Frank Rajah-Arase’s work are aware of his antecedents. Nobody shows up for his films expecting an original AMAA winning spectacle. Helmer of previous productions like ‘Forbidden fruit’ and ‘The Game’, the man just wants to entertain you, thrill you and maybe even shock with a rough scene or two of Majid Michel’s hairy backside placed when you least expect.

‘Cheaters’, his latest is an ensemble comedy/drama that moves at the director’s usual breathless pacing. There is no Yvonne Nelson touching herself here but there is plenty of nude/near-nude action from plenty of Ghanaian wannabe actresses deluded into thinking it will score them a big break. But then again, maybe it will. We live in such times.

Taking a cast of superstars and unknowns alike and weaving a plot that involves multiple story arcs connecting with each other, ‘Cheaters’ tells a common tale of infidelity and breaks them apart into different sub-specialties- emotional, physical and even verbal- revealing in the process the men and women who cheat and why they do so.

There is the chronic womaniser (Omar S. Captain) looking for himself in all of the trashy ladies that Ghana has to offer, there is a marriage deteriorating gradually because of the husband’s disinterest in his wife’s sexual needs. Another young husband (BBA The Chase’s Elikem) has to stand by and watch his wife carry on an affair with her boss while Jackie Appiah and Adjetey Annang bring on the star power as the seemingly perfect couple put to the test when the irrational husband attempts to deceive his wife for his own misguided and selfish reasons. Suffice to say, it blows up in his face in unexpected and delicious ways.

The pacing is fast, picture sharp but the sound mixing could have been better. The producer must have been going for a contemporary sound but the untidy mix of pop hits ensure that the film is not going to age quite well.

Rajah-Arase’s direction is a clutter. In his book, 2 people making dialogue and shouting is considered passable acting and that is what he demands from the most of his cast. You don’t come to his sets to better your craft. The plot is fun, the characters are comfortably distant and the twists and turns come faster than an episode of ‘Scandal’. But soon enough, someone starts emoting and expects us to feel something for them. At such moments, you would have loved to be in the cutting room with the director just so you can cut, cut, cut. The writing also could do with at least 2 cycles of editing.

It is wiser to come to ‘Cheaters’ as a feel good movie without any ideas but to be thrilled. Jackie Appiah is a dependable actor and manages to rise above the silliness going around, even looking like she is having a ball. Mr Annang on the other hand is asked to play two roles and appears in the latter role as a twisty pervert. It is a surprise Ms Appiah’s character would want to have anything to do with him. But then again, he is a twisty pervert with lots of money.

The director then has a light bulb moment and manages to juggle everything while racing the plot to a cliffhanger that ensures audiences will be queueing up in cinemas for the next installation.

Unimpressed, we shall just wait for the DVDs.

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