GLAMOUR GIRLS REVIEW

I have a bone to pick with movie remakes. I often lack the initial enthusiasm most people get when it’s announced that a fresh and modern take on their favourite movie is being released. Don’t get me wrong, there have been a few occasions where I’ve genuinely appreciated the filmmaker’s innovative angle to the original. I remember feeling pleasantly surprised as the credits rolled at the end of 2019’s Living in Bondage: Breaking Free because the movie exceeded any expectations I might have had. However, most of the time, remakes are unimaginative, uninspired, and unnecessary; and unfortunately, Bunmi Ajakaiye’s Glamour Girls is one of those.

Honestly, I had no real expectations going in to watch Glamour Girls. The advertised plot, which was to showcase the lives of female hustlers in Lagos, was undoubtedly intriguing as I was scarcely optimistic for a Hustlers moment. However, within minutes of watching the movie, I quickly realised that that was merely wishful thinking.

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE PLOT?

I often wonder how any movie goes into production when there is obviously no clearly identified storyline. It is fascinating how there was so much going on and, at the same time, nothing going on in this movie. I found it extremely difficult to follow the point of the movie, and it quickly became apparent that there wasn’t any. None of the women’s storylines were adequately fleshed out or had clear connections with the non-existent central plot. This is quite unfortunate because, independently, each ‘glamour girl’ had a fascinating angle that could have been developed into compelling stories and reflective of real dilemmas some women in Lagos face. It was a missed opportunity to educate the everyday Nigerian on other realities that they may be ignorant of. Disappointingly, it was evident that the production team deemed it more of a priority to showcase the ’Glamour ‘in ‘Glamour Girls’ by sponsoring all-inclusive trips for the cast and allocating a ridiculous budget for costumes.

CASTING

This was an underwhelming and underperforming cast. I honestly couldn’t identify one outstanding performance even from (and it sincerely hurts me to say this) Nse Ikpe-Etim. However, I will note that Sharon Ooja has really grown as an actor since I first watched her on Season 1 of Skinny Girl in Transit. While her performance was probably the best, it was hardly even a good one. It is pretty confusing because I really enjoyed her performance in Oloture. Hence, I am not sure she is entirely to blame here, as her character in this movie was also poorly written. Similarly, many characters were also very irrelevant to the story (not that there was one), but I think that has more to do with lousy writing than with bad casting.

This may be an unpopular opinion; however, I am tired of seeing Nigerian influencers on any screen that isn’t my phone’s. I am not suggesting that people cannot branch out and explore other passions that they may have. Nonetheless, when someone who isn’t that good of an actor or convincing in their role has ample screentime, it dims the story significantly. I am yet to see a performance from an influencer that I have remotely liked, and a lot of the time, they are given leading or significant supporting roles. I believe that a few acting classes or maybe a chance to develop their craft through less significant roles will benefit not only the story but the actor, and the viewers who pay good money to watch a decent performance.

CONCLUSION

Not every movie needs to be a ground-breaking or deeply inspirational classic. I enjoy movies that don’t take themselves too seriously and aspire to make people feel good. However, whether you are trying to make the next Titanic or just a light-hearted movie like Clueless, the least you can do is make it cohesive and interesting. With the intended storyline, Glamour Girls had the potential to be either ground-breaking or light-hearted, and if I am really being honest, it truly had the potential to be both. I find it very difficult to believe that the filmmakers on this project watched the finished product and thought to themselves, “this is really good.” Hence, I am running with the theory that they simply did not care. Either way, that is very unfortunate because we waste the opportunity to showcase Nollywood in all its glory. I will commend the movie for patronizing many young and upcoming Nigerian artists; it was nice to see a lot of their music being celebrated. Nonetheless, I did not enjoy this movie and would not advise anyone to watch Glamour Girls, but if you must, view it at your own risk.   

Rating: 1/10