Hustling to make sense - Nollywood Hustlers movie

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Thursday, October 14, 2010

Two things actually drew me to check out this Nigerian movie – its poster and Nollywood Forever’s review.

First, the way the poster was designed caught my attention. It’s not as if there was anything way special about it but the placement of the characters and the use of the funny font type was enough to say one thing loud and clear – this is supposedly a funny movie. Sorry I couldn’t get a picture of the actual poster (which is better) but here’s the VCD jacket cover version.

Now, I know there are other versions of the movie poster but not all of them seemed to give the same impression as this one did. The next poster below still managed to look comedic too. I guess it’s the font that seems to be helping mostly.

This next poster below was a disappointment however because it featured a shot of the ‘late’ World Trade Centre in the background! Haba! Does someone think people are too dumb to notice?

Hmm…maybe I’ll start doing an analysis of Nigerian movie posters like the guys on whofartedphotos do with Hollywood movie posters.



Anyway, after reading Nollywood Forever’s review on ‘Nollywood Hustlers’, I was eager to check out Uche Jombo’s performance as a razz character. I must say I was not disappointed but I found out that hers was not the only performance that seemed to hold the movie for me. There was this particular character called ‘Lucky’, the shorter of the two hustlers. Just looking at this guy’s face cracks me up. And the manner in which he delivers his lines are hilarious. If you took the characters of Lucky (Ime Bishop Umoh), Schola (Uche Jombo) and Paulina (Susan Peters) out of the movie, then you’ve got nothing funny to watch. Ejike Asiegbu’s character of ‘Prince’ was also impressive though he had a supporting role; he brought out the razzness of a typical uneducated Igbo businessman.

Razz Paulina (Susan Peters) and Schola (Uche Jombo) try to steal some show at a red carpet event

The whole story of the movie surround two characters, Elvis and Lucky (Charles Inojie and Ime Bishop Umoh) who think the next best way to make money is by shooting a movie; the inspiration coming from Elvis having the dream of tangoing with movie star, Monalisa Chinda. They convince a businessman (Ejike Asiegbu) whom Lucky knows, to fund their project. In the long run, they spend the money enjoying themselves and promising chicks who came to their audition and ended up going out with them that they would make them stars. But they have a problem. How do they get Ramsey Noah and Monalisa Chinda to star in their movie with the little money left? Sounds like a dilemma that requires you to be in comedic suspense of how they would pull it through, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, our suspense gets suspended and replaced with utter disappointment. And what is it with all those prolonged and boring scenes at the beginning?

Lucky (Ime 'Bishop' Umoh) in his element.

On the other hand, I think Ime Bishop Umoh is a discovery. This dude is funny in the manner of John Okafor and Nkem Owoh who are known for acting roles of stupid characters. But Umoh’s joker would be that crazy look he gives that borders on the edge of a stupid attempt to be seductive yet serious (lol, sorry but that’s how I could describe it). I found myself waiting expectantly for his own delivery in each scene of the movie; the guy has a gentle and naïve way of saying silly stuff that cracks you the hell up.

Lucky making an ass out of himself before Monalisa Chinda and her P.A.

Check him out at the auditioning he was conducting with Elvis where an older woman shows up and he annoying retorts;

‘By the way who even told you that we are auditioning for ancestors?’

Lucky (Ime 'Bishop' Umoh) tries to mingle with real celebrities at a red carpet event (funny scene!)

Or the bar scene where he’s talking with one of the girls that came for audition and he asks her to be his girlfriend and the girl says she wants to be a star and not just a girlfriend. Lucky angrily tells her to go to blazes informing her that doesn’t she know she has to ‘girlfriend’ her way to the top?


Just as Nollywood Forever put it, I discovered that the movie had a heavy major casting with cameo appearances from other celebrities as themselves (the first of its kind I’m seeing in a Nollywood movie) but sadly I don’t think enough justice was done to the script (If there ever really was one). As I was watching, ideas began to pop into my head on how the story could have fared better. The story could have had a more interesting ending than it did.





Schola (Uche Jombo) now a celebrity is recieving beauty treatment while her P.A. recieves call from Paulina. 

Schola’s finale where she received a call (after becoming a celebrity) from her former friend and betrayer, Paulina who wanted a piece of the action was hilarious – the exchange between Schola and her P.A who was answering the call and Paulina’s angry retort at being denied the opportunity (with that funny sound effect) seemed to cover up for the poor attempt to end the story.


For a proper review of the movie, you can check it out on Nollywood Forever’s site.