Enara Writes

I love an honest book. I love the way she writes. she's talented. Too talented..

So, I recently watched "Water and Garri," and I must say, I have some thoughts to share. The movie follows a woman returning to the east side of Nigeria to reconcile with her past. Now, I had high hopes, especially after seeing the trailer, but while it met some of my expectations, it fell short in others. The cinematography and dialogue were impressive, and the characters were well-developed, but the chemistry between Tiwa and her cousin felt forced. One major issue I had was with the pacing. Every scene should have a purpose, driving the story forward, but at times, it felt sluggish, leaving me waiting for something more impactful. And let's talk about the title— "Water and Garri." It just didn't seem to capture the depth of the story, which I believe should have focused more on the protagonist's relationship with her grandmother and her past. However, one aspect I truly appreciated was the willingness to take risks, particularly in killing off key characters. Comfort Emmanuel, the writer, deserves credit for that bold move. The characterizations were also strong, each person feeling distinct and fully realized. That's one thing many writers including myself suffer a lot from and seeing her do this was incredible. Yet, despite understanding the story,at the very end. I was left with lingering question, especially regarding the initial scene with the running man. Who was he, and what was his significance? Let me explain better. The guy in the first scene was running, and she said don't pity him he killed my brother then we go to 10 years later and the guy is still alive and then I'm like maybe, it's an error on their end, so I wait to see who dies at the end. I wait to see how she killed him and I see nobody.. Then when she talks about her brother's death, I'm like hmmmm is this a trick or a mind game to get the guy to confess?? and then I realize it wasn't.... At the end when the guy was driving off, I felt something bad would happen but I thought he would run like the person in the first scene but he did not and I'm like hmmmmmmm... So who was the person in the first scene???. These loose ends left me wanting more closure. Overall, "Water and Garri" has tremendous potential, especially if it delves deeper into the protagonist's family history with the love aspect on the side. The actors delivered phenomenal performances, particularly Tiwa, although some makeup choices felt out of place. It's clear there's room for improvement, but for a first attempt, it's a commendable effort. Welldone.