Movie review: The Other Side of the Bridge delivers emotion, action (Recommended)

The Other Side of the Bridge is a Nollywood movie starring Demi Banwo, Femi Branch, Ireti Doyle, Teniola Aladese, and Tobi Bakre, and was directed by Fiyin Gambo.

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The Other Side of the Bridge follows a former teenage boxing champion who enters a high-stakes competition to save his trainer’s gym. He faces off against a cash-strapped fighter from a troubled background, sparking a rivalry that forces them to confront their pasts and fight for their futures.

Incredible Makeup Effect

The number one thing that wowed us in this movie is the red eye on Farouk, the character portrayed by Tobi Bakre. Farouk was a boxer in a tournament. He had just proceeded to the next round, but with an injured eye. Since the beginning of Nollywood, injuries to the face have never been about the eyes. But in this movie, Farouk had a red eye. We wonder how the makeup artist was able to pull that off because it looks absolutely real. That makeup artist deserves a raise because we have never seen anything like it, even in Hollywood movies. The makeup artist also deserves a caution because some of the injuries on the boxers’ faces were just too extreme and unrealistic.

Superb Audio Quality

Another thing we found impressive about The Other Side of the Bridge is the audio quality. This was evident in the outdoor scenes, especially the graveyard scene where a gym manager (Ireti Doyle) was chatting with Femi by his mother’s grave. Typical Nollywood editors would have used a light musical soundtrack in the background to mask environmental noise. However, that scene was superbly shot because all we had were the actors’ voices and ambient sound matching the environment. Another scene that shows that this movie has perfect audio is the beer pub where Farouk went to meet his coach, Mo. The noisy environment and the sound of the TV airing a football match blended perfectly with Farouk and Mo’s voices. Nothing distracted us from their conversation.

The third wow effect about this movie is how it bridged the lives of the rich and people with low incomes. The drone shots of Ikoyi were amazing to see, but not as amazing as those of Mushin. Despite Mushin looking poor, it still had an aura that endeared us to the area and its inhabitants’ lifestyle. While Femi was born with a silver spoon and lived in Ikoyi, Farouk was from the slums of Mushin. Both men had a passion for boxing, but certain circumstances in their lives influenced their decisions about sport. Only one saw boxing as a means to escape poverty.

Two brilliant actors in this movie are Tobi Bakre as Farouk and Olarotimi Fakunle as Mo. Their chemistry was fun to watch. We really enjoyed their conversation at the beer pub when Farouk approached Mo concerning the Titan boxing tournament. We’ve always known Olarotimi Fakunle to be a brilliant actor. So, seeing him eat his role in this movie was no surprise.

Brilliant Set Design, Lighting and Technicalities

The Other Side of the Bridge is exactly what we want when we say Nollywood should move away from its comfort zone. Giving us too many Jenifa and Alakada kind of movies is boring at this stage. But with this movie, Nollywood fans can heave a sigh of relief. The design of this boxing ring and the venue were well put together. The lighting of the boxing ring scene, even the one in the slums of Mushin, was impressive. The way the camera moved during the boxing fights deserves credit. The movement added to the action. Sometimes, the camera movement made it seem as if viewers were the boxers getting punched. Adding to the action was the commentary delivered by comedian Lasisi Elenu.

The Other Side of the Bridge evokes emotion, shows perseverance and determination. It was really touching watching Farouk cry to God to bless the only talent he had, which he was banking on to enable him to escape poverty, especially when he had housing problems and a baby on the way.

The Other Side of the Bridge is worth seeing and a breathe if fresh air. It gets 8/10.