By Amarachukwu Iwuala
Director: Leila Djansi
Cast: Ama Abebrese, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Yemi Blaq, etc.
Sinking Sand – A Precipitous Affair
Newly married Pabi and Jimah are relishing their marriage until hot oil from Pabi’s frying pan accidentally pours on her husband’s face as he scrubs the kitchen floor. His face is scarred in the process, turning him into a violent man, who beats his wife for the flimsiest reasons.
A brooding movie, which probes human emotions when things go awry, Sinking Sand has a lot going for it: convincing performance by the cast, inspiring dialogue, etc. For instance, in the scene, where Jimah confronts the doctor, he says, ‘If you are sleeping with my wife, I’d find out.’ The doctor asks: ‘How … with your fists?’ When Jimah’s father shows up, he says to his son. ‘When my grown up son becomes a teenage boy again, picking fights …, then, my work as a father resumes. It is not how you look that makes you my son; it’s your heart, your integrity.’ How profound!
The beatings are numbing. They look and sound real.
However, a number of events in the flick turn out awkwardly. Why does Jimah faint when he is stabbed? Is he not supposed to bleed? He did not bleed at all!
When Pabi is lost in thought, the head teacher in her school asks what the matter is. She replies, ‘Its Jimah. He’s different’. The head teacher’s response is pre-emptive when she says. ‘He lost one side of his face. What do you expect from him?’ But, the initial statement is unclear as to whether Pabi is referring to her husband’s looks or behaviour.
Where is Jimah’s family throughout his hospitalization and the mounting problems in his house? His father actually appears at the eleventh hour! Meanwhile, his wedding was a carnival of sorts, where several of the family members actively participated.
Couldn’t Jimah have undergone reconstructive surgery? Curiously, the doctor/counsellor, who takes a personal interest in the case, never mentions it. Jimah comes from a fairly comfortable background as attested to during the nuptials. So, it could not be the lack of funds. Better still, his employers (the bank) could have lent him a helping hand. Then, Jimah’s demotion does not add up.
The make-up on Jimah’s face is inconsistent. Initially, he appears to have lost his left eye to the accident.
At a point, the eye opens a little bit. Later on, in the movie, he does not see with the eye again. The severity of the scars is exaggerated in the first place. I mean, his face and shoulder were not fried in a frying pan. Rather, hot oil poured on him. Why are the scars localized on his face and shoulder without spots in-between: his neck, chest and head? How possible is it, considering that the liquid splashed when the frying pan fell?
In the end, one is not disappointed with this film that clinched the Best Screenplay at the 2011 African Movie Academy Awards, AMAA.
Have you seen ‘Sinking Sand’? What are your thoughts?
