Alex Heaton (azanti0029)
Half A Yellow Sun really should have been a mini-series for television and that is the main problem here. It's an epic story with a plethora of characters being rammed into a small running time and as such it struggles to find its emotional center. Set in the late 1960s the film is set during the turmoil that followed Nigeria's independence. Accusations of tribal racism soon led to a civil war resulting in part of the country succeeding in its own state of Bifra - much of this is shown through the use of documentary clips and newsreel footage, which sadly were more interesting and engrossing than the actual movie.The story centers around the relationship between two daughters, Olanna (Thandie Newton) and Kainene (Anika Noni Rose) are brought up in a wealthy politically connected household. Both filled with a sense of entitlement the two leads don't make for especially sympathetic characters though the gutsy dry witted Kainene grows on you after a while thanks to a great performance by Rose. Olanna is engaged to be married to political intellectual Odenigbo (Ejiofor) while Kainene is quick to jump between the sheets with white businessman Richard (Joseph Mawle) another characters perspective comes from newly appointed houseboy Ugbo (John Boyega) who cooks and cleans at the house of Olanna and Odenigbo and is a witness to Odenigbo infidelities. Much of the early scenes is spent establishing tribal tension between Odenigbo's mother (Onyeka Onwenu - excellent performance) and Olanna and on Odenigbo having political discussions with other friends he invites over where he continues to blame the white man for the countries problems. The latter focuses on the tribal civil war that followed the break away state and is set over several years following the characters attempts to continue a normal life. I have no doubt that the book, which I haven't read (but will as soon as I can get my hands on a copy) paints the characters in much more dimensions than was allowed here. Here in lies the flaws of this film - Characters are painted either too stereo typically such as Odenigbo who comes across as an annoying superior hypocrite or too thinly such as Richard whose core motivations and emotions are never real to us until the final reel. Olanna is given the most screen time and she is the least appealing of the main characters, allowing herself to be a victim one minute then abrasive the next with everyone around her. Much of the script feels forced and trite and there's too many other characters whose screen time is too little yet whose deaths are played out as having major importance and significance yet we struggle to remember who they really were. I'm surprised that such a big budget film was given to a first time director but then you can't really blame him pulled from pillar to post as I am sure he would have been - the film does reek of too many cooks and really should have been made into a mini series, this would have allowed a broader stroke of scenes and story line to make the main characters more appealing and also given the minor characters more of an impact so their loss is keenly felt once it comes. The acting here is really variable too with only Joseph Mawle in an extremely underwritten part and John Boyega coming through completely unscathed. It's not a film without its merits or strong moments but ultimately it is a flawed film that has no where near the emotional impact that it should have done and that is chiefly because you do not care about the characters on screen enough to be fully engaged in their journey.
rogerdarlington
It is a shame that this film is not much better known: it is a rarity for a British movie to have an African theme, African location shooting, source material from a black novelist, a black writer and director, and an almost exclusively black cast. But it is a pity that the film is not as successful as it could have been: too much of the work is sluggish and the script is often too leaden.The title is a reference to the flag of Biafra, the breakaway Igbo-dominated province that provoked the Nigerian civil war of 1967-1970, and the action is set in the decade following Nigeria's independence in 1960 and is seen through the eyes of Biafran characters who are struggling with their own relationship difficulties. The film is based on the novel of the same name by the Igbo Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the writer and first-time director is the Nigerian-born, London-based Biyi Bandele who was born to Yoruba parents but grew up in the northern part of the country in the Hausa cultural tradition. Both novelist and director deserve recognition for focusing on a period of Nigerian history that still shapes the nation but is rarely in the public discourse and Bandele was right to insist on making the movie in Nigeria itself in spite of the difficulties.The two leading actors - both of whom give excellent performances in spite of a poor script - are Chiwetel Ejiofor ("12 Years A Slave", who was born in Britain to Nigerian parents, and Thandie Newton ("Mission: Impossible II"), who was born in Britain to a black Zimbabwean mother and a white British father. Both are real talents who alone would make this film worth watching.
Amari-Sali
After Chiwetel Ejiofor's work in 12 Years a Slave, I wanted to see whether his career would be interesting enough to follow after his Academy Award nomination. After all, while many Academy Award nominees go on to have careers worth following, like Gabourey Sidibe for example, but at the same time there are also many actors who seem to have peaked with their nomination, and soon after release hardly anything noteworthy. Though, alongside Ejiofor, there is also Thandie Newton and Anika Noni Rose as familiar faces worth noting, as well as John Boyega from Attack the Block who is to have a role in the 2015 Star Wars film. So, with the recognizable names and faces mentioned, let's talk about the movie.Characters & StoryThe story begins in the 1950s when Queen Elizabeth visits Nigeria and we meet Olanna (Thandie Newton) and Kainene (Anika Noni Rose) who are twin daughters of a chief who seemingly lives an upper crust life. Olanna, as well as Kainene, are both well-educated and while Olanna plans to be a lecturer at a local college, Kainene plans to work in a high ranking position within Port Harcourt.Then the drama sets in. We learn of Olanna's boyfriend, a fellow lecturer, Odenigbo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who isn't highly liked by Kainene and is nicknamed "The Revolutionary," and we meet Richard (Joseph Mawle), an English reporter on leave who fancies Kainene. And for most of the movie the focus is the trouble of these two sets of relationships, at least until the Nigerian Civil War. With that, the relationship drama gets thrown in the backseat for surviving becomes imperative, and with Olanna fully committed to Odenigbo, whether poor or rich, we watch as they go through hardship trying to survive in a world in which cultural prejudice has torn their lives apart.PraiseThe story and acting for each and every single person is done so well. Newton and Rose present two sides of a different coin as twins who may have shared a privileged upbringing, but couldn't be more different. Then, when it comes to Ejiofor as Odenigbo, him being a revolutionary isn't seen necessarily in him raising a gun or using bombs, but more so his thinking and conversations. Most of which help provide some sort of insight on why Biafra was made, as well as archival footage making it so it feels that you get a taste of the environment, as well as Nigeria's history, as much as the characters.Leading to a split in praise for Act 1 and Act 2. Act 1 features mostly relationship drama and to me, it felt soap opera like enough to keep you intrigued, but not so overdone it made you roll your eyes. And even when you take away the romantic story of Olanna and Odenigbo, and factor in Ugwu, you are presented a quality story about this kid taken in and seemingly raised like a surrogate son. Then, when it comes to Act 2, it feels like an almost edutainment history lesson. One in which the main points of the Nigerian civil war are noted while an entertaining narrative is given.CriticismBut I must say, as interesting as this film is, it feels way too long. Which could be a testament to my attention span, or just because as much drama that is in this film, I just feel like no one really grabs a hold of you with their performances. For while heartbreaking things happen, people get passionate about love, politics, and other topics, the actors never transcend from playing a role to presenting people. Due to that, I felt a sort of disconnect which made it so I was more so seeing Ejiofor, Newton, Rose and etc., vs Odenigbo, Olanna, and Kainene.Overall: TV ViewingThis is the type of film which seems like it would do better as a mini-series. Which I say because sometimes the film just seems like it tried to cram as much as possible, when it comes to the characters, the story, and the history of Nigeria, that it looks like with breathing room it could have been better. Plus, I feel with time it could have made it where the actors could have settled into their roles more and allowed their characters to seem more natural. For, in my opinion, while the performances were good, a part of me also felt like they were performing more so for accolades than to really tell their character's story.Leading to the main reason this is labeled TV Viewing: It just doesn't keep your attention. For as good as the actors are, and how interesting the story is at times, it's hard to stay engaged throughout. Be it because you don't feel like the actors get lost in the characters, the overall length of the film, or maybe even perhaps the unfamiliarity with the history of Nigeria, it leads to you possibly losing interest after awhile and yet coming back just to see how everything ends.
Ahmed Kenewi
I watched this film at the Zanzibar International Film Festival. It is an Okay film for the first-time director Biyi Bandele - jumping straight to big budget film ($10M). Nevertheless, it does not deserve the golden award for best feature film. ZIFF is promoting mediocrity. There were other local African films that deserve the award - as 'local' is one of ZIFF main criteria. ZIFF is a not-for- profit organization, and it functions no different than the big-name for-profit festivals. If you don't know what I am talking about - watch the documentary Official Rejection (2009).Hollywood actors, big-name producers from Constant Gardener, and expensive special effects did not embellish the poor directing skills of Biyi Bandele. To be successful in his next film project, I advise Biyi to first divorce himself from his novelist style. Just as acting-for-play is different than acting-for-film; the same rule applies to writing a book vs a film script; directing a play vs directing a film.Biyi does not yet understand the job of a director. There are certainly a LOT of specific directorial responsibilities that he needs to master to become a good director.
