Well, as I have learned, we should start with the positive aspects of any production. In the case of Water and Garri, some good things that I noticed were the cinematography. Every shot was very colorful, but not excessively so, more like fine art. The locations and settings were also well done, matching what I believe the cinematographer was aiming for in the overall look of the movie.
WATER & GARRI REVIEW
The costuming was also good, with the fabrics complementing the theme of the setting; colorful and elegant. The soundtrack was fantastic. Every song played was a hit, and you could see Tiwa’s influence in the production. Another positive point was how all the actors were great, from Tiwa to Jemima, Andrew, Mike, and the other street thug who rivaled Andrew’s character, Kay. The only cast member who wasn’t great was the police officer, which makes sense, as they are not meant to look attractive.”
Now, let’s delve into the problematic aspects. They always say that from Wednesday, you can tell how the weekend will be, and the same applies to movies. From the trailer, you can almost gauge whether the movie will be easy or difficult to watch. For Water and Garri, the trailer didn’t give anything to look forward to, and the movie continued with the same dull vibe.”
The movie is set in a place that Tiwa calls ‘home,’ but we are not sure where exactly ‘home’ is. Is it Ghana, where the movie was shot? Or is it Nigeria, where the lead actress is from? The way they used language confused us a bit. Perhaps ‘East Side,’ the fictional city in the movie, is a blend of different African communities. It’s not just Tiwa speaking Yoruba to various characters; we also hear another character speaking Fante, a Ghanaian language. But the most confusing part regarding the choice of language in this movie is the pidgin that seemed out of place. Everyone speaking the language sounded unsure of how to speak it, which is strange for native speakers. It just felt off.”
In the beginning of the movie, we hear that ‘East Side’ has changed, and we are supposed to believe that it has gotten worse since Aisha left. However, in the flashbacks, we don’t really see it that way. The town looks desolate in the flashbacks, and even in the present time, it still appears to be a hopeless place.”
The character Aisha: Aisha doesn’t have anything that would make the audience like or dislike her. The character just exists, without much impact. She is attractive, but that’s about it. Why create a character that doesn’t evoke any emotions in the audience?”
The gangster aspect, oh my, I am tired because if this is how gangsters are portrayed in Nigeria, where we come from, we wouldn’t be worried about insecurity as only we would be able to handle it.”
Water and Garri is as bland as unsweetened and un-milked Garri. I had no expectations, so there wasn’t much disappointment. Would I recommend this movie to anyone? No. Would I recommend the soundtrack? Yes.”
The saying goes, ‘as water is to Garri, love is to pain,’ the adage is not rhyming at all. This Tiwa Savage’s Water and Garri, there is no sugar and milk at all.
