Morenike Alaso Ala promises an epic journey with a stellar cast—Peju Ogunmola, Dele Odule, and Funmi BankAnthony—but struggles to marry its grand narrative ambition with its technical execution, often feeling more like a stage play than a modern Yoruba cinematic triumph. A must-watch for performance junkies, but the pacing will test your patience.
Introduction: The Weight of an 'Epic' Label
In the competitive landscape of online Yoruba cinema, the term "Epic" is often wielded as a badge of honour, promising sweeping narratives, high production value, and profound cultural resonance. Yorubaplus' "Morenike Alaso Ala" (The Dream Weaver/Cloth Bearer) arrives with this heavy designation, clocking in at nearly two hours, and featuring a quartet of industry heavyweights: the formidable Peju Ogunmola, the stoic Dele Odule, the intensely emotional Funmi BankAnthony, and the consistent Feranmi Oyalowo.
This film attempts to weave a tale centered on destiny, spiritual power, and the high cost of maintaining a seemingly perfect facade in a traditional setting. But the question that haunts this 109-minute endeavor is simple: Does Morenike stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the visual spectacle and tight scripting of modern New Yoruba Epic releases like Jagun Jagun or Anikulapo? Our critical thesis is that while the film boasts acting performances that are masterclasses in emotional conviction, its ambitious narrative—the very foundation of an epic—is consistently undermined by uneven pacing and a production design that fails to fully realize the spiritual grandeur of the "Alaso Ala" concept. This is a film carried by its thespians, not its camera work.
Narrative Structure: When a Dream Stretches Too Thin
The film’s central conflict, revolving around Morenike's unique spiritual affliction or gift, is inherently compelling. It taps into the deep well of Yoruba folklore where the line between the physical and spiritual realms is constantly blurred. However, the screenplay’s narrative arc suffers from significant structural issues.
Pacing and Exposition: The Slow Burn
The first forty minutes of Morenike are heavily reliant on verbal exposition, a style reminiscent of the older Yoruba cinema model. Instead of showing the consequences of Morenike's "cloth" or "dreaming," the characters spend considerable time telling us about them. This leads to a protracted pacing that, rather than building suspense, causes narrative drag. Key dramatic beats, which should act as narrative accelerators, often feel buried under conversational filler. For a two-hour film, the emotional climax arrives too late, requiring the audience to wade through long, static scenes that would have benefited from rigorous editing. This choice places the burden of engagement entirely on the dialogue and the actors, a stylistic decision that contrasts sharply with the dynamic, cinematic language of contemporary Nollywood.
Dialogue Authenticity
On a positive note, the dialogue itself is rich and commendably authentic. It uses proverbs and metaphors (owe and àsà), a hallmark of great Yoruba writing, ensuring the verisimilitude of the village setting is never truly broken. However, the density of this exposition occasionally makes the English subtitles (where provided) vague, failing to fully convey the nuanced cultural meaning embedded in the original Yoruba.
Thespian Triumphs: A Masterclass in Emotional Conviction
If Morenike achieves greatness anywhere, it is in the sheer raw power of its ensemble cast. The film serves as a powerful reminder that even with technical shortcomings, compelling, authentic acting can anchor a story.
Peju Ogunmola: The Anchor of Anguish
Peju Ogunmola, as the matriarch or a figure of authority, delivers a performance marked by controlled, palpable anguish. Her portrayal of a woman wrestling with a spiritual challenge that threatens her family lineage is mesmerizing. Ogunmola excels in the quieter moments. Her non-verbal communication—the furrow of her brow, the controlled tremor in her voice—speaks volumes where the script is silent. This is not the flamboyant, loud character often seen in YouTube features; this is a deeply internal, sophisticated performance that commands the frame through sheer gravity.
Dele Odule: The Stately Figure
Dele Odule embodies the classic Yoruba patriarch, a performance defined by stern authority and layered vulnerability. Odule’s delivery is precise, his commands carrying the weight of tradition. His challenge lies in conveying the internal conflict between societal expectation and personal concern, and he executes this beautifully. In a significant scene around the 55-minute mark, a confrontation with his wife showcases his ability to transition from towering disappointment to reluctant compassion, demonstrating why he remains an invaluable asset to the industry.
Funmi BankAnthony and Feranmi Oyalowo: The Emotional Engine
Funmi BankAnthony and Feranmi Oyalowo, often paired in the middle-aged contemporary roles, provide the necessary emotional volatility. BankAnthony, in particular, pours deep, sometimes overwhelming, emotion into her character, creating moments of high drama. Her ability to switch rapidly between despair and defiance is the cinematic engine of the film.
Oyalowo, while playing a slightly more restrained role, offers a solid, reactive counterpoint, ensuring the familial friction feels grounded. Their combined chemistry successfully communicates the long-term, exhausting strain of dealing with a hidden cultural burden, making the stakes personal rather than merely mythological.
Technical Breakdown: Where the Epic Falters
The primary obstacle Morenike faces in fulfilling its "Epic" promise lies in the technical execution. The film operates at the standard level of online Nollywood production, failing to reach the visually ambitious standards set by recent theatrical releases.
Cinematography and Mise-en-scène
The cinematography is largely functional, employing standard medium shots and two-shots, which makes the film feel visually flat, more like a televised stage play than a feature film. There is a noticeable absence of dynamic camera movement or creative blocking that would enhance the tension or convey the scale of the spiritual world being explored.
Crucially, the introductory sequence, which urges viewers to upgrade video quality settings for sharper and more vibrant visuals, ironically draws attention to the limitations in the image capture itself. The lighting is often basic, resulting in flat, untextured images, especially in interior scenes. The depth and richness of colour expected in a film dealing with the vividness of dreams (Ala) are absent.
Production Design: Lack of Grandeur
The production design and costume choices, vital elements of an "Epic" classification, are modest. While the Aso Oke and traditional garments are authentic, they lack the intentional, stylized grandeur needed to signify royalty, mythology, or wealth in a manner that transcends the everyday. The environments are mostly familiar village settings, and there is no significant attempt at world-building. The core concept of the "Alaso Ala"—the unique, powerful cloth or condition—is not given adequate visual manifestation, relying instead on narrative explanation. The film needed to utilize its mise-en-scène to build the mythology, but it regrettably settles for simplicity.
Sound and Post-Production
Sound design is competent but unsophisticated. The dialogue is clear, which is a major positive for online content, but the use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound is often heavy-handed. The music score, particularly, tends to over-telegraph emotional moments, undermining the nuance established by the actors. A more subtle, ambient score would have better served the internal dramatic conflicts.
The editing is where the length becomes apparent. Beyond the slow initial pacing, the scene transitions lack fluidity, often employing hard cuts that disrupt the natural flow and rhythm of the story. There are moments around the 1 hour mark where the jump cuts feel disjointed, suggesting either a hurried post-production process or a need for tighter directorial control over the final cut.
Thematic Resonance and Cultural Veracity
The film is at its strongest when exploring its core themes: the clash between personal destiny and community pressure, and the spiritual obligations tied to lineage. It handles the subject of extraordinary spiritual gifts—a recurring motif in Yoruba cinema—with relative respect, avoiding excessive sensationalism for the sake of drama.
The portrayal of the communal response to Morenike's issue, particularly the role of traditional spiritual figures, feels culturally authentic. It reflects the reality of how such complex issues are collectively managed within a traditional Yoruba setting. While the film may not offer groundbreaking thematic commentary, it serves as a robust vehicle for cultural storytelling, demonstrating a fidelity to social norms and spiritual hierarchy that grounds the fantastical elements in reality.
My Verdict: An Actor's Film, Not a Director's Epic
"Morenike Alaso Ala" is a curious case study in modern Nollywood. It is a powerful theatrical experience captured on film, rather than a film created with deep cinematic intent. The work of Peju Ogunmola, Dele Odule, Funmi BankAnthony, and Feranmi Oyalowo is exceptional; they collectively elevate a technically constrained production, transforming long expository scenes into genuinely compelling dramatic exchanges.
However, the film’s failure to deliver on the visual promise of an "Epic"—lacking dynamic camera work, rich production design, and efficient pacing—prevents it from joining the ranks of truly cinematic Yoruba masterpieces of this era. It is a film for the dedicated enthusiast who prioritizes compelling acting and authentic dialogue over spectacle.
The Bottom Line: Watch it for the superb acting clinic, but be prepared for the pace of an earlier generation of Yoruba filmmaking.
Star Rating: .............. (3/5 Stars)
Call-to-Watch:
If you are a student of performance, particularly interested in the nuanced mastery of veteran Yoruba actors, Morenike Alaso Ala is essential viewing. Hit play, but consider the speed control for the first half, and be ready to witness true acting greatness carry the weight of a production that needed a much larger budget and a sharper editor. Let us know in the comments below: Which actor’s performance resonated the most with you, and do you agree with our assessment of its 'Epic' status?
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