A thrilling play titled “Strained” written, produced, and directed by Okechukwu Oku of OracleFilmsTV has premiered in cinemas. It boasts an ensemble cast which includes Queen Nwokoye, Samuel Nnaibuike, Padita Agu, Tracey George, and Adaeze Onuigbo.
This story is set in the beautiful city of Enugu where Ebere played by Tracey George goes on a bitter-sweet journey as she reconnects with her estranged mother (Queen Nwokoye) whom she fondly remembers as Mama due to insistence from her husband (Samuel Nnaibuike).
The setting up of this much anticipated meeting is the arrival of a child which usually marks “Omugwo” in Igbo culture; A period when the mother of the couple takes care of the new mother. The question then arises: Why does Ebere resent her own mother? Will she allow her to stay and help with the baby? You have to see it in cinemas to find out.
Each actor gives a great performance but Queen Nwokoye shines most especially as Ebere’s mum; It is fair to say she was just brilliant as always and brought life into this film while making it more real than ever before.
“Strained” is a touching movie that successfully combines serious themes like domestic violence with hilarious ones such as those between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. It examines these different aspects of life through a Nigerian perspective which makes one think deeply about what they just saw at the end.
The storyline revolves around post-domestic violence trauma thereby showing its effects on individuals’ lives and their families at large. This realization is achieved through strong character development coupled with excellent performances from all involved thus bringing closer home realities faced by survivors themselves who may be watching too. Emotional scars are also vividly portrayed here leaving no stone unturned about how people get hurt in such situations leading to tears rolling down cheeks.
The cinematography of “Strained” is really great because it depicts well the intense and light-hearted moments in the story. The emotional journey of the characters is effectively mirrored by use of color and lighting.
The camera work captures brilliantly subtle expressions and non-verbal cues that add depth to the narrative. During family gatherings, close-ups are placed side by side with wide shots taken during intense scenes therefore showing beautifully thematic duality of film.
It’s a movie which gracefully deals with dualities in life. It takes you up and down emotionally, making you cry one minute and laugh the next.This ability for the movie to move smoothly between such opposite emotions is indicative of its strong direction as well as screenplay writing skills.
For any person who loves films that both entertain and educate this is a must watch, as it provides an Igbo setting where we see how families relate after delivery depression sets in.“Strained” is also recommended for those interested in learning more about postpartum care among Igbos while appreciating good cinema.
A drama worth watching due to stellar acting performances coupled with high quality production standards besides driving home hard-hitting messages against domestic violence which occurs after marriage ends tragically. However, just being honest here… like most movies these days, everything was so predictable; things happened just as they should have happened. This does not mean though that it isn’t one of my favorite streaming service options available right now but may lack some punch on larger screens.
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