By Iyke Bede,
An unsuspecting film lover might expect the same thrills from Tiwa Savage’s acting debut in Water and Garri as from her music, only to face disappointment after spending an hour and 20 minutes on what turns out to be a draining experience.
Water and Garri, a namesake of Savage’s 2021 Extended Play (EP), was hyped up to be the next best thing after sliced bread. For the most part, this was believable with its impressive trailer; Savage’s enthusiasm in promoting the film, and her revelation that filmmaking was her first love.
Not just that, the project secured a slot on streaming platform, Prime Video, earning a top 10 spot in 14 countries, a privilege bestowed on Nollywood’s best productions.
Niched in the romantic drama genre, the film centres on Savage’s character, Aisha, who elopes to Los Angeles to pursue a career in fashion.
A successful Aisha is backstage directing and inquiring into the wellbeing of her models, and then she receives a call from home, Eastside specifically, with Stephany (Jemima Osunde) informing her about the death of her cousin, Mide. This isn’t the first time Aisha lost her loved one.
This news prompts Aisha to up and leave her thriving fashion empire behind to settle into a refurbished home where she grew up under the care of her grandmother, Yemi and brother, Ayomide (Mike Afolarin), whom she lost to the cold hands of death years ago, compelling her to leave Eastside. However, it took the death of a relative to turn her life goals 180 degrees around.
Determined to stay put, her past demons and traces of her old life slowly re-emerge. Kay (Andrew Bunting), an old love, walks back into her life with a promise to provide stability on all fronts, even though the violent past of Eastside continues to worsen.
The film opens on a promising note with Niyi, Stephany’s brother being chased and eventually killed by a gang member, raising questions and piquing interests. As the montage rolls, more and more characters are unveiled, with Savage being the central part. Her central role, however, reveals a lack of preparedness for the role, which in turn affected how the rest of the crew is perceived. Put simply, she’s the weakest link in the lineup.
Her expression of emotions, be it sadness or anger, isn’t convincing. The rest of the cast tries to embody the essence of their roles, but not Savage.
Savage shouldn’t bear all the blame. The crew didn’t quite spice up her performance with a script that lacked punchy dialogue. The banter felt a bit flat, and emotions only sparked with a few words here and there, leaving no room for character development. Also, her body language didn’t project her intentions most of the time; save for a few scenes that reveal teary eyes, she was mostly unreactive.
While backstories are great to flesh out and give context to the present, its use in Water and Garri was a tad confusing. Timelines were mixed up. This becomes a problem, one that has the viewer checking timestamps to know how far gone they are in the film -one of the hallmarks of a bad film.
One of the elements that keeps viewers hopeful for a positive plot turn is influenced by the cinematography and costume team. The colour grading for the film reflects the vibrancy brought about by the diverse people of Eastside. Crisp, sharp and colourful, Water and Garri boasts impressive shots: from close-ups to aerial ones. To bring to life the resilient spirit of the community, the costume department ensured proper representation of the high and mighty to the humble and unnoticed.
With a poorly defined storyline and an overdramatic ending, the film still manages to secure a win with its score. Savage complemented the film’s release with a soundtrack album of the same title, showcasing Afrobeats-focused tracks that add charm. These songs also seamlessly fit as background music, effectively reflecting the film’s mood.
Theme-wise, WaterandGarri explores love, bonds between friendship, mental health, and social and moral degradation, revealing how these elements intertwine to shape the characters’ lives amidst a backdrop of shifting societal values that describe Eastside 10 years later.
Savage, who is not well known for her acting skills, will suffer little loss from this experimental venture into film. Whether or not she returns to the screen, one thing Water and Garri reveals is that more work is needed to hone her acting skills before her next role. Although forgivable, this film lacks rewatch value and is difficult to recommend.