TIPTOPSTARS

Frank Sire’sBefore You Say Yes I Do (BYSYID) is a typical sample of a great story, harnessed by amazing acting performance. Both elements, story and artists’ performance are so intelligently woven with what would conveniently be described as obvious result – successful production.

First, the cast, especially the ones that directly operate the theme of the story, love, are carefully selected. Looks and love language (verbal and gesticulations) put together, BYSYID scored the point. Playing along these lines, lead actor, Frank Sire (Jack), in all his scenes, fixes his tone to match the moments – refer to the recovery scene with Chanel (Pridine Fru) and the last scene in the movie.

Female lead, Syndy Emade (Lovette), is at her best in BYSYID. Not only does the actress sound so audible with her lines, but her accompanying moods tie up a fantastic set interaction bundle that justifies the pairing with Sire. Reference: scene where she yields to the incompatibility with her fiancé yet plays mature into his arms. Also reference her sharp change of posture when an intruder betrays her to-be chief bridesmaid and the man she is getting set to tie the nuptial knot with. Good acting!

Pridine Fru (Chancel) plays self-defense throughout the story. How she amazingly executes that - lines and gestures, adds the impetus to BYSYID. Reference: recovery scene – “….yes, I’m hungry, but I won’t have lunch with you...” Also reference the date scene with Peter (Nchifor Valery) – “…yes, you are good for me, but, I’m not good for you...” The last scene of the movie also reveals the actress prowess.

In most of Otia Vitalis’ (Mr Watson) movies, he plays the gentleman. That sharply contrasts his posture in BYSYID. In the movie, the actor, in a bid to inflict a payback punch on his wife, Mrs Watson (Glory Chando Mokake), has to be fierce. The director’s close shots during such moments, make Otia’s performance in the given scenes quite effective. Versatility!

Perhaps, the Maradona in BYSYID is Nchifor Valery. The actor plays his 90 minutes without any signs of fatigue. Rather, he picks up an additional role of energy supplier to every interlocutor he crosses roads with. Nchifor (Peter) fields in brilliant acting in all his scenes with Pridine (Chancel). Also reference his batch eve scene spectacle and coaching scene with Jack’s dad (Otia Vitalis). Take note of the actor’s spontaneity in all his dialogues.

What makes BYSYID a movie to watch, is the story itself. Plotted in from two angles – Jack and Lovette and Jack’s parents, the filmmakers weave it so meticulously to reveal the lesson of the day – placing value of what you have and avoid losing it to regret thereafter.

The winner, at the end of the day, is the story’s writer. He performs an excellent job in crafting the dialogues, rich in theme-related terminologies, idiomatic expressions, punchy responses, and exclamations.

It is more in the watching, that the pudding of BYSID would taste more palatable. Watch it!

Technical Sheet

Movie title: “Before You Say Yes I Do”

BYSYID: Abbreviation for title (Per reviewer)

Length: 88 minutes

Type: Feature film

Location: Limbe and Yaounde

Story/Screenplay: Frank Sire

Editor: Priestly Andoh

Producer: Frank Sire

Executive Producer: Pridine Fru

Production Outfits: Sirenation & Prez-Dyne Productions

Director: Frank Sire

Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ernest Kanjo is a USA-based Journalist and Writer with an interest in arts, culture and entertainment reporting. Founder of Apex 1 Radio – www.apex1radio.com and Editor-in-Chief of TIPTOPSTARS (online entertainment magazine) - www.tiptopstars.com he has written extensively on the Cameroonian film industry. He is a currently a film criticism trainee. Kanjo has several awards from his works in film reporting.

Many more Cameroonian movies have been made, released, premiered and written about, than they have been watched. This has been a long-standing worry, expressed by film lovers, over the years. “How can we have famous actors, producer and directors whose works we have never seen,” Andin, a Cameroonian living in Dayton, Ohio, USA had rhetorically put it to this writer. “I’ve seen countless beautiful movie posters and pictures taken on movie locations, yet, I haven’t watch a single one,” she confessed further.

To Akih, Columbus, Ohio, USA resident, there is nothing to prove that a movie exists, if it is never available to purchase and watch. She explained: “I have watched a few Cameroonian movies on YouTube, but what about the scores of others, advertised over the years?” “Each time a movie is premiered with flowers and color, my next desire is to watch it, otherwise, it makes no sense.” She had said.

Just like Andin and Akih, scores of other Cameroonian movie lovers would and have expressed similar feelings.

For the past couple of days, there seem to be indications that this worry may soon be a thing of the past. This follows the appearance of some of the highly publicized Cameroonian movies in recent times, on Amazon Prime Video, so far, the biggest online movie streamer after NETFLIX.

As we write, eight Cameroonian movies have made it on Amazon Prime Video – Saving Mbango, A Good Time To Divorce, Breach of Trust, My Gender, My Pain, Maalle” and most recently Little Cindy.

“Getting my movies on international platforms has always been my goal, but more so because I want people to watch, enjoy and comment on them. So, to have Little Cindy on Amazon Prime Video, is an accomplishment to me,” Billy Bob Ndive Lifongo, producer and director of “Little Cindy” told TIPTOPSTARS.

“We make great movies now and before you know it, we’ll be having them on NETFLIX,” the Cameroonian filmmaker said with confidence.

Earlier, Stephanie Tum, producer of Saving Mbango had expressed overwhelming feelings with the reaction of her people who have watched the movie. “I have never experienced such support,” she pointed out, emotionally.

Little Cindy, the newest comer on Amazon Prime Video is produced and directed by Billy Bob Ndive Lifongo (also producer/director of Rumble the TV series and upcoming Little Sam, Big Sam the movie), starring Libota Macdonald, Solange Ojong, Syndy Emade, Nchifor Valery, Lynno Lovert, Stephanie Tum and child actress Mayohchu Atem Ebai.

Meanwhile, the first ever Cameroonian movie on the streamer, Breach of Trust, got on Amazon Prime Video in October 2018. Produced by Roseline Fonkwa, Breach of Trust is directed by Nkanya Nkwai (also director of A Good Time To Divorce) for the Cameroon unit of the production, starring Brun Njua, Epule Jeffrey, Ruth Nkweti and Nchifor Valery. It also features Gudisz Fungwa, the male lead in Saving Mbango.