A hilarious yet relatable movie graces our screen and has skit maker and entertainer Lasisi Elenu as the lead in The Razz Guy directed by Udoka Oyeka. The movie which comes under the genre of comedy is said to have been shot in 2019 starring popular actors such as Broda Shaggi, Nancy Isime, Jemima Osunde, Robert Young, Tina Mba, Ireti Doyle, Lolo to mention a few. The Razz guy finally had its premiere on the 14th of March, 2021, and KOKO TV was there to cover the red carpet and will be dropping hilarious and interesting moments on the red carpet from the cast and crew. Now unto the Koko of the matter, let us dig in; Firstly it is important to note that this is Nosa Afolabi popularly known as Lasisi Elenu debut lead role. It follows the story of an arrogant lawyer Temi (Lasisi Elenu) who loses his ability to speak proper English after a spell is cast on him by a cleaner (Frank Donga). This turns his perfect world upside down as he is forced to realize his mistakes and find ways to correct them.
This storyline is fantastic, no cap. Because it is not the ordinary story of learning from your mistakes but there is the twist of the realization that karma exists and indeed people pay for their wrongdoings. One major message this story passes is the fact that life does not just exist but for everything you do or do to others, you will surely reap from it, be it good or bad. The Razz Guy has a strong message and the unique way the director, Udoka Oyeka chose to portray it is wonderful. When you think you know what will come next, you are hit with a sweet curve.
Progressing into the nitty-gritty that makes a great movie, let’s talk about the characterization. In this aspect, there were some flops because we didn’t know where exactly the director wanted to stand, for instance, the lead character’s girlfriend Nadine (Nancy Isime) character was confusing because the way she talked was bothering on being fake but then again we couldn’t tell if she was pretending to love Temi (Lasisi Elenu) or if she actually loved him.
And characters like Nadine’s aunty played by Ireti Doyle was unnecessary, in fact, all her scenes were unnecessary. If we remove the scenes that they showed Ireti Doyle this movie will be complete with nothing amiss. I still wonder why she was even in the movie, it seems they wanted some big names for the movie and hence her inclusion. She was typical Ireti Doyle, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing new, so what was her purpose in the movie!!!Thumbs up to cast members like Broda Shaggi, Bucci Franklin, and Lasisi Elenu. Originality and plausibility are two words to describe these three as they killed their roles. Back to back, from one scene to another they were on point, they didn’t have to force the funniness, it just flowed. READ ALSO: Music Review: Skillz 8Figures Shows Promise & Talent On The EP ‘After Dark‘
One major question one must ask is please who was the make-up artist and who was in charge of the special effect make-up?
The make-up was all wrong from the lips to the brows, the brows were the worst as they were always too fat, on each and every female cast that had make-up on in the movie. The make-up didn’t make it at all.
But the little special effect make-up was beautifully done, it looked as natural as possible. Thumbs up to that particular individual.
From one scene to another, this movie missed that seamless flow; and that comes from the cinematography. Yes, I already mentioned how some scenes were unnecessary which falls on the path of the director but the way those scenes are portrayed falls on the path of the cinematographer. It wasn’t so bad but it wasn’t so great either.
Now one major mistake most comic movies make with this movie inclusive; is that they concentrate on maintaining that comic feel from the beginning to the end but always let the message slip away.
Watching this movie at a point one has to ask, please what are they doing in this part. For instance, the scene where the Pastor (Mc Lively) was beating Temi (Lasisi Elenu). Really that scene could have played out in a million different ways but not the usual comic style that every other Nigerian movie does.
Practically this movie should have ended when the lead character realized his mistake and he was healed. What Temi did at the end was really not necessary. Sorry, you will have to go and watch the movie to know what he actually did at the end (lol).
Final Thoughts The Razz Guy is a movie that doesn’t really resonate with the title, one watches the movie and be asking what is razz about this movie. The fact that one doesn’t speak good English, doesn’t mean that that person is razz. Because when you watch this movie you will definitely ask yourself this question.
Overall, the highest point of this movie is the storyline and the characterization of a few cast members.
We can see people thinking out of the box in order to make comedy not just about laughter but lessons also. Thumbs up to the entire cast and crew
Firstly it is important to note that this is Nosa Afolabi popularly known as Lasisi Elenu debut lead role. It follows the story of an arrogant lawyer Temi (Lasisi Elenu) who loses his ability to speak proper English after a spell is cast on him by a cleaner (Frank Donga). This turns his perfect world upside down as he is forced to realize his mistakes and find ways to correct them.
Thumbs up to cast members like Broda Shaggi, Bucci Franklin, and Lasisi Elenu. Originality and plausibility are two words to describe these three as they killed their roles. Back to back, from one scene to another they were on point, they didn’t have to force the funniness, it just flowed.
