This Damage packs a punch of positives

By Adedayo Odulaja

From the very beginning of touching base with the screen, recently-premiered movie, Damage sets out to give you nothing but a sensational feel of convincing acting and production of high quality. It presents a tale of a couple whose life is one of much love and regular outpour of streams of violence, both going hand-in-hand at the same time. Taiwo (Kalu Ikeagwu) and his wife, Sarah (Uche Jombo), are to be honoured at a grand event as the Best Couple of the Year and while their celebrity guests, the camera lights rolling and paparazzi set to usher them in already, the two to be celebrated are themselves thinking of what sense there is in receiving the honour, looking at their violence-ridden existence as man and wife, one the world is unaware of. A flashback soon beckons, introducing us to the couple just six months before the present as a season of violence wraps up the audience, staking its claim for the essential deal the movie is all about. In the first of many to come, a fight breaks out between them and with Taiwo lashing out continually at his wife, his young son is forced to fight on the woman’s side but even the boy is not spared. The father descends on him and until Dami (Nicolete Ndigwe), their teenage daughter, comes in crying, they do not stop although the two main gladiators are evidently tired out. Surprisingly, Sarah and her husband are soon back to a time of cuddling and kissing and the whole time of the boutof fisticuffs is forgotten. A manifestation of the violent ways of the couple soon bears fruit in the child as their 8 year-old son, TJ, constanlty gets into fights with others in his school. Once again, he lashes out at another of his classmates without provocation and his parents are summoned. As the head teacher tries to paint a picture of the abnormal beahovour of their son to the couple, Taiwo complains repeatedly of having been called out of the office for a matter as simple as two children fighting each other. With his complaints and manner of shouting down the head teacher down again and again becoming unbearable, Sarah squares up to him, reminding him of having left her own job too to be at their son’s school. A shouting macth ensues and becoming furious beyond limit and in order not to ingite another of their regular sessions, Sarah storms out, driving away in extreme anger. Not to be outdone however, Taiwo, after shouting at Sarah not to walk out on him without result, follows in a hot pursuit and their manner of driving at such an anger-fuelled moment cannot but be described as dangerously crazy. Although they have their many moments of romantic frenzy, the fights and violence is an ever-present feature of their life, with all kinds of weapons freely used and dangerous utensils becoming arms and flying everywhere when their volatile spirit comes upon them. But while their violence against each other is considered contained, the impact it leaves on the pysche of their children is so telling. Asdie the young boy beating and getting people injured, what it does to Dami is really beyond explanation. It gets so bad that she stops talking to any of the two, resorting to write instead and hand it over to them when it is absolutely neccesary although she is said to talk to her younger brother only when her parents are not there. Her earphone in her ear, with music togo with it also becomes her sanctuary. Another of the days soon comes around again when, on a day of their wedding anniversary, Taiwo is held back at the office by a crucial meeeting after telling his wife to dress up in preparation for an outing. Limitlessly upset, Sarah welcomes him when he eventually shows up at night by throwing bottles and glass cups at him. Although the tale surrounding their existence is gripping enough, it does not throw up much more all along, until Jude (Basorge Tariah Jnr.) shows up on the scene. Just one look at his sister does not only tell him things are terribly wrong, it shows Jude, Sarah’s elder brother, the huge bruises and scars on his younger sister’s face. There and then, Jude decides to take her away from her matrimonial home, leading Taiwo, who truly loves his wife despite the insanity of causing her bodily injuries, into dejection. Sarah also gets no reprieve from being away from her husband but her decision to go back is only the beginning of the end for the union they so much love to have and the family they long to grow. With Damage featuring Uche Jombo herself, highly rated Kalu Ikeagwu, Tonto Dikeh, Basorge Tariah (Jnr), it is already delicately poised to be refered to as a blockbuster in Nollywood where the star factor is often the essence of several productions. Especially when you put the cameo appearances of the likes of Jane Peter, Ayo Makun, Ne Ikpe Etim, Osita Iheme, Chinedu Ikedieze and many others into consideration, but Damage, produced by Uche Jombo and directed by Moses Inwang, does much better than that on the overall. Although not without its shortcomings like one or two of the violence scenes overplayed for instance and the scene where the senselessness of their action casues irreparable damage, comes almost implausible, the movie is balanced on all fronts as a qualitative production. It delivers well in terms of acting, which is probably its best claim to glory. Thematically also, it is on ground as an advocacy movie dwelling on domestic violence, but one which does it more in portrayal that in dialogue while the pictures are impressive enough to rival any movie around. But then maybe little should be said about acting when you have the natural and confident Kalu Ikeagwu, the inimitable Basorge Tariah Jnr. on set as well as Uche Jombo who is given to anything acting whenever and wherever. In terms of homourous excietement, the scene of the policeman who runs up to Sarah is at the time of irrational driving is very witty, sending the cinema audience into fits of laughter due to the tap of humour turned on by the police character despite how brief it lasts. So is the scene where Taiwo, snuggling up to his wife in bed after a violent moment, is interrupted by their son who comes to sleep with them. Mad but unable to say or act for the sexual enjoyment he is derived, it provides a funny spectacle for viewers any day. Damage, already taken round some cities in Nigeria, is charming enough to draw you to the cinemas where it is still showing and there is much more to hit you than the storyline here suggests, of course.