Predictable Plot, Lavish Gifts: Love In Every Word falls short of expectations

When Omoni Oboli announced her movie Love In Every Word, her fans and, by extension, Nigerians were happy because of the actress’s pedigree and attention to detail in interpreting whatever role she’s given to play in movies.

However, it was a surprise movie since it was announced weeks after Valentine’s, unlike other romantic movies, which are usually announced during the Valentine’s period. Fans were more curious about the film, suspecting that Nollywood legend Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) would make an appearance due to its announcement a few weeks after the picture of Oboli and RMD kissing went viral.

When it was clear that RMD was not part of the project, Uzor Arukwe (Odogwu), being the lead actor, made fans become curious and anxious to see something chilling and refreshing, expecting Arukwe to pull a stellar performance just as he did in Bimbo Ademoye’s movie Fame and Fury and his spectacular performance in Roberta Orioma’s project Grind.

Months after playing the role of Paul Adefemi in Fame and Fury, fans are yet to get over his ‘villainous’ role, and when the poster for Love In Every Word was posted by Ms. Oboli, Nigerians started counting the days for the movie to drop.

With Omoni Oboli’s popularity and fans’ curiosity, Love In Every Word recorded massive viewership. The film crossed 5 million views on YouTube in less than 72 hours.

Despite the hype, the movie could not deliver a convincing message to the audience.

First, the ‘glorious’ Ifunanya’s introduction, touted at the beginning of the movie, was not delivered, to the surprise of fans. We all know the flamboyant nature of weddings in Nigeria, especially among the Yorubas and the Igbos, but Omoni Oboli failed to deliver the introduction (there was no introduction scene or Ifunanya), the same reason Chioma left Lagos for Anambra before crossing paths with Obiora (Odogwu).

While Odogwu and Chioma’s roles were delivered by both Arukwe and Bamike Olawunmi, popularly known as Bambam, there were mistakes the director failed to correct. For instance, Odogwu eating with his cap on in the house with his lover is off—not a billionaire attitude but that of a classless man. The lousiness of Odogwu did not equally portray the Igbos as refined and implies that every Igbo with money is lousy and not cautious of their environment.

There’s no single bodyguard or security personnel around Odogwu, as every Tom, Dick, and Harry bumps into Odogwu with no questions being asked.

Love is giving, but Love In Every Word glorifies money and gifts in exchange for love, a trend that has become a norm in today’s Nigeria. It gives the impression of No-Money-No-Love.

In a country where a man with money constantly lavishes his love interest with gifts even without a defined means of income, Love In Every Word did not state the nature of Odogwu’s business, and Odogwu is seen as an intentional man showering Chioma with expensive gifts.

The movie reinforces a few wrong stereotypes about Igbo men. It sets unrealistic standards when it comes to dating and finding love, a mindset that ought to be corrected, considering that anything being dished out to viewers tends to be emulated and amplified.

The idea of a parent trying to play matchmaker to secure wealth, like Chioma’s mom did, isn’t something that should be encouraged for entertainment purposes.

Love In Every Word equally lacks suspense, as it was quite predictable from the first few scenes.

The movie portrays women as property to be owned by men as long as they have the money to squander. It also ridicules Lagos girls, portraying them as ladies who would rather eat out and cannot cook for themselves and their families.

Nevertheless, Omoni Oboli executed the project with an eye for good locations, clean visuals, and fine costumes.

Love In Every Word glorifies money over emotion.

Chioma fell for Obiora (Odogwu) primarily because of his financial muscle. If he had all the other admirable qualities but lacked wealth, would she have even looked his way? Highly doubtful.

Obiora purchasing an entire building where Chioma’s office is located just to get her phone number feels absurd and unrealistic—unless, of course, we’re talking about the extremes of wealth and obsession in today’s Nigeria. At its core, Love In Every Word seems to push the narrative that money, rather than genuine love, is the real key to romance.

While the film has its flaws, we must give credit where it is due. Uzor Arukwe and Bambam delivered stellar performances, proving why they deserve more accolades.