Monalisa Chinda's Kiss & Tell sparks with delightful acting and engaging storyline

By Adedayo Odulaja

The first thing that would probably come to your mind if you hear about Kiss and Tell, a recent movie effort produced by Monalisa Chinda, is what on earth the movie would contain.
This is clearly due to the presence of several largely uninspiring movies especially with such titles that dot the Nollywood space until recently. But even the poster of this movie will not help you much but maybe the faces of adorable Monalisa Chinda and handsome Joseph Benjamin would tell you there will be some worth in the movie as you would soon find out.
Iyke Duru (Joseph Benjamin) is an arrestingly handsome young man who is equally financially comfortable as the co-owner of a high-flying PR company in town while Delphine Nwakama (Monalisa Chinda) is a gorgeously beautiful lawyer riding her at Isaac & Sons where she works in the same town. Both being very good at the jobs they do and rich, their paths cross at a bar in a manner that is not too far in description to an ignition of hatred. Delphine, spotting the toga of a lady seeking attention, as far as Iyke is concerned, turns down a man who seeks to have a chat with him and Iyke turns on her and a verbal exchange is recorded although that is just the beginning of many more to come.
But it is when hanging out with his partner, Bernard (Desmond Elliot) that Iyke comes across Delphine once again who is also hanging out with her close friend, Tena (Nse Ikpe Etim) at an upscale bar. With he and Bernard always engaged in arguments, Iyke is left out as it turns out Bernard happens to know Tena from somewhere before which affords her the chance to interact with the ladies. Not long after Bernard goes over, Iyke goes after Delphine when she stands up but she dismisses him again when he tries to interrupt her phone call unsuccessfully.
Iyke, who prides himself as a man who can win the heart of any lady any day, is left feeling bad and in the heady discussion that takes place later between the two friends, pride is at stake. It goes even worse when they put 5% of their shares on offer, the 5% stake would make the other who wins the bet the controlling shareholder of the firm and all Iyke has to do to win is to sleep with Delphine to win. It is therefore a mountainous climb for the young man whose simple offer of conversation is being rebuffed by the lady he has to sleep with in ten days.
But with an ally in Mimi (Uche Jombo) who works with them, the objective, though pretty difficult, does not seem insurmountable for Iyke who sets about it in earnest, first with Mimi helping to get details, personal, professional and otherwise about Delphine.
On the other hand, Bernard, who feels he has got the edge through Tena, setting plans in motion to ensure Iyke does not win, the stage becomes set for an intriguing spectacle as the story unravels.
One of the most lifting indices about Kiss & Tell, modeled after the circumstance where a young man sleeps with a lady and discloses to his friends, is that the acting is top class. It goes in the tradition of other classic cinematographic works from the stable of Emem Isong’s Royal Arts Academy although this riveting tale is from the creative genius of popular actress, Monalisa Chinda showing her side as a producer.
The performance of both Joseph Benjamin and Monalisa Chinda are engaging but you would either choose to agree or not that it is quite difficult to cast the inredible Nse Ikpe Etim as a supporting actress as she seemingly dominates any set she finds herself and credit must go to Desmond Elliot. Not just for his killing portrayal in this movie as Bernard but even more as the director, a twin task which leaves none of the two roles lacking.
Just as Emem Isong is probably becoming the most prolific producer - she would be in contention as one of the best anyway- in Nollywood as her works speak volume about her dexterity and hardwork.
This story does not discriminate women, neither does it cast men in any stereotypical garb but it provides an avenue of liberation for both in a subtle rebuttal of the cassanova and engaging reflection of the power of love.
Kiss & Tell is a movie you should do all you can to see, aside the fact that this would afford one the opportunity of knowing what happens eventually in the spell-binding story laid across in the freshly premiered flick, it provides a platform through which you are entertained to no end. Even Nse Ikpe Etim who sat right in front of this writer, was nearly torn apart with excitement seeing the final product of what she and others have done. If the beautiful actress could be so taken in probably having seen it more than once before in its raw form, how much more would you who is yet to encounter it at all! Or have you?