In the realm of faith-based movies, following the success of "God Calling," Biodun Stephens presents "Joba," a faith-themed film. "Joba" distinguishes itself by focusing on narrative and thematic elements rather than relying on a cute Jesus/angel character.
Biodun Stephen, the director of "Joba."
The movie, despite its flaws, manages to achieve a 7 out of 10 rating. While Blossom Chukwujekwu's performance as Lamide may not be outstanding, it is adequate, reinforcing the idea that a film's success depends on more than just the lead actor's performance. Produced on a budget, "Joba" demonstrates effective resource utilization, making Christ Living Spring Apostolic Ministry (CLAM) proud.
JOBA - BLOSSOM CHUKWUJEKWU, ENADO ODIGIE, RONKE OJO latest 2024 Nigerian Movies
Themes and Symbolic Elements
The movie integrates several notable elements:
- Dream foreshadowing: Similar to "Game of Thrones," "Joba" uses dream sequences to hint at future events.
- Display of African Attire: The film stands out for its exclusive use of African clothing, avoiding the typical inclusion of English attire.
Areas of Criticism
Despite its strengths, "Joba" faces criticism in certain areas:
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- Enado Odigie’s Acting: Her portrayal of Ore was considered subpar.
- Lamide’s Reaction to His Wife Getting Raped: His passivity during the assault was seen as unrealistic and unacceptable by the audience.
The Rape Scene Controversy
Lamide’s reaction to his wife getting raped was absolutely unacceptable. He just watched? Some viewers found Lamide’s response during the rape scene implausible. His initial shock was understandable, but his continued inaction, even when there was a chance to fight back, was heavily criticized. This scene has sparked debate about the importance of self-defense and the instinct to protect loved ones.
Some men would agree they would rather die than watch such happen (the second time). We all agree that preserving life is important but you down right have to fight if there is even the slightest chance you can overpower two hungry guys with a meat cleaver with the advantage of one being stuck deep in your wife to react.
The Inspiration Behind 'Joba'
Nollywood actress Biodun Stephen has spoken about the inspiration behind her faith-based movie ‘Joba’, saying “God showed me the story while I was in a traffic jam.”
According to Biodun Stephen, the inspiration for "Joba" came during a traffic jam while listening to Psalmos' song "Jesu Joba." She envisioned the story and began writing the script immediately upon arriving home.
‘Joba’ directed by Biodun herself was released in 2019, starring the likes of Blossom Chukwujekwu, Enado Odigie, Chris Ihuewa, Ronke Ojo, Christine Osifuye among others.
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She continued: “After that, I posted on social media that I had just written a beautiful, powerful story that I’m so blessed with. “I did not respond to the message because I thought it was a scam. Then the next day, the woman insisted that the Holy Spirit said you have just created a film that we should produce together. I reside in South Africa. This is my number. At that point, my husband said, ‘Well, let’s call the number.’ And we did, I asked, ‘In what way do you want to work with me?’ She responded, saying ‘How much do you need to make this film?’” According to her, that was how the emotional movie was produced.
Themes and Relevance
This movie perhaps holds a special place for us at this time because there are striking similarities between the movie and what the world is going through at the moment.
From instagram posts, the talk of the movie had been brewing since April 27 last year. By December 8, there was the first mention of Patrick Syndrome where we got to know Juliana Olayode would play Nkem. The production was in November and as at March 26, it was still in post production.
Here’s a movie that saw the pandemic before it struck the globe. The movie was shot in November 2019 and I’m happy to be part of this project.
In summary, "Joba" is a faith-based movie that, despite its flaws, delivers a compelling story with strong themes and cultural elements. While some aspects of the acting and plot have been criticized, the film's unique inspiration and thematic relevance make it a noteworthy addition to Nollywood.
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Cast and Crew
The movie features a host of actors which includes Seyi Obembe (The Final Contest, 2017; It’s Complicated, 2017). Seyi Obembe is Patrick and the sickness was probably named after him. Doyin Hassan, whom I’m sure you remember from Captives of the Mighty also features, as well as Ifeoluwa Seyi Obembe. It’s an exciting prospect that this movie features the hilarious duo of the Wooli Agba skits - I’m talking about Wooli Agba Ayo Ajewole and his sidekick Dele Omo Wooli Mide Oladimeji.
Patrick Syndrome also stars Sam Ajibola, Juliana Olayode, Seun Oni, Johnson Babatola, Adeola Oluwagbemi, and Toyin Okelola and Ben Schroeder.
Patrick Syndrome is directed by Adeoye Omoniyi, produced by Seyi Obembe, shot by Akin Alabi, and that’s not surprising because from the trailer, we can see that the picture quality is high. We could assume that Johnson Babatola would be in charge of set design here.
