The icing on the cake - Genevieve Nnaji

Genevieve Nnaji has indeed come a long way in Nollywood. Her come hither attitude and her checkmate traits have indeed put her on an extremely high pedestal. If you are a filmmaker, you can comfortably shoot with the highest budget you want. Cast Genevieve Nnaji and you are sure to make your money back. Its impossible to loose when you have the screen goddess in your film. She is definitely the icing on the cake. that is a fact no one can dispute.

Many filmmakers have discovered this and the lucky ones have made profit on her head. I really hope she has some serious back-end or royalties with Ije because it is the combination of Genevieve Nnaji and Omotola, who is even talking about Omotola? It is Genevieve Nnaji who has spiraled Ije out of control. And she was paid a meager 25,000? Genny, please up your rate. Up your rate for real. Demand royalties in the process because you have become a cash cow. Once the movie opens in a theater, they cannot hide their records. Get royalties from theater releases.

The reason why I am writing this rejoinder is because I am so sick and tired of Genevieve Nnajis' fans. They have lost objectivity. No matter how bad the movie is, or how bad the picture is, once its Genevieve, nothing else matters. When some other person decides to glory in their fans, that person is accused of being the person in which he/she glories. Is it only Genny who has fans? Even Tonto Dike has fans.

I wrote an article calling Chineze Anyeane to order, that she needs to stop saying Ije is the best film to come out of Nigeria. I am now being labeled a hater. Are Nigerians therefore saying that, after 50 years of independence, it is a film, crewed mostly by Americans in America that is the best best Nigerian movie? Are they throwing out works of Tunde kelani, Tade Ogidan, Kunle Afolayan, Mamood Balogun, and many others? If Genevieve had not been in the movie Ije, would Nigerians have allowed Chineze to see the light of day with her utterances?

We all love Genevieve, but not to the extent of turning a blind eye to things she is involved in that are flawed. lets call a spade a spade. Ije is a wonderful accomplishment and it deserves praise. But in praising the new, do we forget the old? is Ije the only Nigerian film to have won international awards? lets be objective please. At least I know Ghanaian movies have won many international awards. Ghana even took over AMAA. So Nigerians should please educate me.

Do we forget that some people, worked hard, under strenuous circumstances to create Nollywood? to create Omotola and Genevieve who have made Ije a blockbuster? Ije in itself is not a blockbuster. The white people in it are total nobodies. it is Nollywood that has made Ije a blockbuster.

Nollywood was there before Chineze came. it is because of the "bad filmmakers and movies" that Nollywood has become a household name on which she rides. One of the actors in Ije, Ulrich Que has been hustling in America to get a role for years, on his facebook page, ije is his number one achievement. He could not make it in Hollywood, it is Nollywood he run to. If some people had not created the Nollywood enigma, where would Ije be?

Chineze must be admired for her vision and strategies. She should be applauded. she has put men and adults to shame. But, she is still just starting out. She must learn to give credit to those who paved the way for her movie to succeed in Nollywood! Chico Ejiro was on her set. Was she not thus turning to the pioneers of Nollywood for help?

All this Ije was shot on 35mm is a joke. Is 35mm god? Amazing Grace was shot on 35, tango with me, many older Nollywood films were shot on 35mm so what is all this behaving like villagers seeing a car for the first time? Hollywood is discarding 35mm and going more digital, now we are glorying in things of old. be objective people. No one is jealous or hates Ije. We are all happy we have another film to boast about. It is about saying your mothers food is the best when you know its not.

I am not the only one who shares this sentiment. The thought is abroad in every corner. Joy does not hate anyone. Story is story. if it needs to be said, it needs to be said. We need our industries to move forward in unity. I refuse to call a spade a digging spoon. A spade is a spade. I watch only Genevieve Nnaji movies because I know I will be entertained, but, I will not become a fanatic. I must keep my sanity. She is a human being like all of us. Ije is not her movie. I am not against Genny, I am against disrespect to Nollywood.