Mother of George (2013)

Rhythm is often defined by locales - while mountain people seem to be rather slow by nature, those born close to sea shores appear to be faster in their movements. So I wouldn't call this film "slow", but idiosyncratically paced, admitting that I might be wrong: maybe Nigerians are faster than what I believe, judging from this film. Then it would be a decision taken by director Andrew Dosunmu, making dialogs and reactions calm to the extreme. I could take this, but what really distanced me was composition within the frame: too often actions are seen in close-ups, even in moments when large crowds are gathered. Maybe we have been conditioned so much by traditional cinema that we expect to see a reaction from a listener when told something that might shock him or her... as the moment when the pregnant Adenike confronts her brother-in-law in his apartment. But once this is accepted and dealt with, one can enjoy this strong drama of choices, tradition and deeply-rooted beliefs, beyond any moral judgment of what is right or wrong. In spite of the endless list of producers and executive producers who capitalize on the work of the creative team, the most remarkable features in "Mother of George" are (besides the performances by Danai Gurira and Yaya DaCosta, as Nike and Sade, the two young women subjected to matriarchy rule and dumb males) the cinematography by Bradford Young and Mobolaji Dawodu's beautiful traditional costumes. The brightness and colors brought by the use of natural and artificial light and the garments, create an atmosphere of hopefulness and joy in the midst of so much sadness and obsession with parenthood. See it.

Mother of George begins with a traditional African wedding ceremony which takes place in New York City. The bride and groom are toasted with wishes for a baby boy in the near future which will be named George, in accordance with the groom's mother's wishes. After a prolonged period, the hopeful mother to be does not conceive and she attempts various methods to become pregnant. After more time passes, she visits a fertility specialist, but her husband refuses to be checked out by American doctors. Her mother in law tells her that she should allow her husband a mistress in order to have a child. This idea does not go well, nor the next one of having his brother try to father a baby with her. The movie moves slowly, and while the acting is solid throughout, and the clothing beautiful, I was bored by the time it finished.

An intimate study of motherhood, and fatherhood, within an alternative culture transplanted from Africa to America. As everywhere, cultural pressures lead to choices that have consequences far beyond hopes.To be a mother is the most important duty of a wife; so she is told. When Danai cannot fulfill her duty, she seeks solutions both within her heritage and from Western medicine. When she finally succeeds, the choices she has made threaten to destroy her.This film is exquisitely photographed and remarkably well acted, especially by Adenike Balogun in the role of Danai, trying her best to do when she believes is right for the husband she loves.

Ayodele and Adonike (Isaach de Bankole and Danai Gurira) are a happy newlywed Nigerian couple living in Brooklyn. However, fractures start to appear in their marriage when Ayodele's overbearing mother grows restless waiting for them to conceive (something they've been unsuccessfully trying to do) and starts to insist that the marriage be dissolved and Ayodele take another wife.This simple but powerful drama is driven by strong sensory impressions happening around the story rather than the story itself. With its rich and vibrant color scheme, Mother of George is one of the most beautifully-shot films I've ever seen. In aesthetic beauty, full use of every inch of a widescreen frame, color, and texture, this film's cinematography is rivaled by a couple of Wong Kar-Wai's films shot by Christopher Doyle...perhaps.The music is no less effective, a blend of traditional Nigerian music, avant-garde score, and symphonic classical music.Everything about the way this film was made in terms of aesthetics and blocking is essentially perfect. So perhaps it's a little disappointing that the script and story, while a good enough one about the tragedy of traditions, could have gone a little further? It could have matched the richness of the film's compositions, the complexity of the fabrics of the gorgeous clothing the characters wear. As it is, it's a fairly simple traditional morality fable. With only five speaking roles given any importance, it has the feel of a baroque chamber drama.