Movie Review: Something Like Gold

Something Like Gold, miss or hit?

I can’t really say, but the sexual tension between the characters and the happy ever after make it a worthy watch.

Cheesy Nollywood romances are released now and then, and while the industry is gradually withdrawing from its customary cliche screenplays, Something Like Gold is a revisit to the classic tropes.

Sandra Okunzuwa delivered in her biggest role yet, supported by a stellar cast, and bringing some steadiness into an otherwise inconsistent plot.

Story

While the story seemed straightforward enough, there were several plot holes, a few unnecessary scenes and overly complicated plot threads.

Several scenes relied too heavily on the chemistry between characters to engage the audience. The “Lagos socialite” trope was rehashed, Sandra played the jilted lover, and the rest of the story added comic effect to what was essentially an adult love drama.

But the characters don’t fit into the story properly.

Place and context

Something Like Gold belongs to the same genre as Love In Every Word, that old classic romance between beauty and the beast. In this case, it’s the rich-poor dichotomy being explored.

There’s a feeling that Something Like Gold, despite achieving some fluidity with its use of flashbacks, there’s still a bit of haze over places and context.

From the discovery of Tamara’s true parenthood to the happily ever after, it’s unclear how much time has passed and how the acts and their performances relate to the story as it unfolds in the viewer’s mind.

The marriage prep scenes didn’t properly fit into the rest of the story, given that Tamara’s father had been arrested, with his assets frozen.

Characters

Sandra Okunzuwa’s interpretation of the role of the spoiled Jolayemi-Scott brat brought much life to the drama, and her evolution was fun to watch, even if the story threatened to ruin the flow at times.

Mercy Johnson’s Yoruba woman act is very convincing, right down to the accent. Her motherly patience is impressed on every viewer, driving home core lessons from this Nollywood film.

Kunle Remi’s woodcarving sass is on show, as the number one killer man in the movie industry gets on the groove with not one, but two beautiful women for nearly two hours of screen time. The directors seem keen on making up for the lack of any spicy scenes with plenty of skin shown, regardless. So, we see Kunle Remi’s chunky, broad frame exuding a masculine aura from scene to scene.

Timini Egbuson… I don’t know what to say about this character. It seemed like a waste of a very good actor to me. But, of course, Timini makes better films now.

Teniola Aladese, what to say? Like Timini, she got too little screen time. But she spiced things up as a supporting actor. Big ups to her. Versatile as hell.

Verdict

Something Like Gold, miss or hit?

I can’t really say, but the sexual tension between the characters and the happy ever after make it a worthy watch.