TNSBY IFE OLUJUYIGBE
Dolapo Adeleke, known popularly as Lowladee has quickly become a name to respect in film circles, and there is little wonder why. The young filmmaker has not only made films and TV series, but ones with some of the highest acclaim in the last few years. Her recently concluded This Is It had viewers from all over Africa and beyond subscribing to see each episode and leaving with glowing comments and teary eyes. Her short 2014 film, Brave won the Best of Nollywood Award for best short film in 2014 and bagged several nominations, and her feature length 2015 film A Place Called Happy also got raving reviews.
You, Me, Maybe is her latest motion picture and it is a romantic drama surrounding a young caterer called Samantha who falls in love, and a medical condition she faces. Samantha is the only child of her parents and develops a condition in her reproductive system that requires that her ovaries be taken out. The doctor says she has a maximum of two years to bear children before the surgery, and her parents, especially her mother, begin to pressure her to get a husband and have children within that time. In the line of her business, Samantha meets and falls for Jide, and they seem to be growing strong until further medical examination shows that her condition is far worse. Her parents attempt to match-make her with an old childhood friend, Michael, and Samantha must choose between having children and staying with a man she loves.
The story is simple but unconventional, and presents Samantha’s dilemma in a way that has us worried for her as well. We understand every detail that is to be known, and while we get her worries, we root for her to do what is best.
You, Me, Maybe employs short scenes in its storytelling, scenes that solely move the plot forward without wasting any time. It engages its audience through out, with a pacing that is quick but knows the moments to hit ‘pause’ for effects. The movie is just an hour long, yet it is a meal that satisfies.
Samantha is played by Ade Laoye, and Jide by Ademola Adedoyin. When Samantha describes their love to her flat mate, Hadiza (Bukola Oladipupo) as “different and easy”, it is an accurate description of the chemistry between both actors. They fit together like a pair of stockings, and when they say “I want” to every request that leads them deeper in their love journey, your heart responds with an Amen.
The casting works entirely in this film, with every actor fitting the roles they are given, or at least playing them to taste. Tina Mba plays Samantha’s mother and is phenomenal as usual, bringing humor and a lot of relatability to the mix. Her husband is played by Bassey Okon who is the more understanding of the two. Olubanwo Demi plays Michael, the arranged fiancé who returns to Nigeria from Atlanta to get married to the wife his parents have chosen.
The movie encounters many cinematography issues. The picture quality changes from time to time, probably due to a switch in camera, and this affects visibility in places. There are also text messages which aren’t legible enough for the audience to read. These issues make following tedious when they arise.
Written by Jessica Agba and produced by Funmbi Ogunbanwo, You, Me, Maybe is an entertaining and simple love story that is warm and filling. It helps that the end isn’t totally predictable too, and, because I am such a lover of love, I consider it a good film to wrap up the year with.
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