By Amarachukwu Iwuala
It is interesting that this film x-rays the intricacies between tabloids and the movie industry. After the success of Aramotu, Niji Akanni returns with the tale of the rather contradictory Amos Fele (Bimbo Manuel), who is spendthrift.
As one of Nollywood’s highest paid directors, Fele squanders his fortune on women, making him unable to provide medication for his ailing son, Konge. The boy dies and, expectedly, this strains his relationship with Tinuke (Tina Mba), his wife. How Fele manages an opportunity at reinventing his flagging career is the thrust of Heroes and Zeros.
Alisa Ayoade (Akin Lewis) is intriguing as the typical individual, whose words and actions are miles apart. Bimbo Manuel, the thoroughbred professional, plays the role of the unfocused Amos Fele to the admiration of many. Tina Mba, Norbert Young and the rest of the cast render their bits with commitment. However, the ambitious Dibu (Gabriel Afolayan) is certainly an actor to watch out for.
Amos Fele is really his own problem. If he accepts to direct The Search, why does he not rewrite the script he criticizes for not having a soul; thereby giving it one? He says, “This is not our kind of film. We’ll shoot it the way they wrote it”.
He sleeps with his employees like Cynthia, the production manager and bolts away when he likes, increasing running costs for the producers. Why can’t he be a pacesetter rather than the cynic, who has apparently contributed to the woes of the industry, where he is a major player?
The publisher of Naija Scene employs the tabloid to his own selfish ends and finds a willing toll in young Dibu. Dibu’s end reinforces the saying that “he who dines with the devil must do so with a long spoon”. People who compromise standards and flout the ethics of their trades should hide their faces in shame and face the consequences, resulting from their actions.
Yet, Heroes and Zeros is not flawless. The movie’s plot is not taut. The introduction of Bisola (Linda Ejiofor) as Tonia Amabibi’s sister in the last 20 minutes of the movie is pointless. It could have been Tonia (Nadia Buari) directly doing research for her own novel. That scene, where they grant an interview to Ayoade seems like a frantic attempt at explaining actions. What better way to tell the audience that Tonia is not really married than for her and the ‘arrangee’ husband to meet and part ways amicably after the success of their deal! Show, don’t tell.
Just like Akanni did in Aramotu, he says Heroes and Zeros is a Chris Jeyibo film, when he (Akanni) directed it.
The project is owned by Jeyibo, no doubt; but by movie terminologies, it is Niji Akanni’s film. It is a screenwriter’s script; a producer’s production and a director’s film. A director does not have to own 1% of a movie to assert this!
It is noteworthy that Heroes and Zeros won three awards at the 2013 AMMA awards: best screenplay, best sound and best editing; having obtained 6 nominations.
