“The Benefactor” set out to tell a familiar story of the injustice that victims of sexual and domestic violence face in our society, but promptly fell short, landing instead in a lopsided tale that ends with a dated trope. Spoiler alert!
A few weeks ago, on a weekend that was as rare as an honest politician, I had some free time. So, feeling like a caged bird, I left home and drifted into EbonyLife Cinemas, with the intention of finding something compelling to watch. I chose “The Benefactor”, a Nollywood film written by Temiloluwa Fosudo and directed by Adeoluwa Owu aka Captain Degzy.
The cast of accomplished actors intrigued me, including Bimbo Ademoye, Kunle Remi, Toluwani George, and Bimbo Manuel, all of whom I like seeing on my screen. The story follows Tutunlade, (Bimbo Ademoye), a talented and famous singer who seemed to have it all — loving boyfriend, a successful career, and fame. However, there’s some history with an aunt and uncle we haven’t met yet, whom she refuses to talk about. Additionally, she has a wealthy “uncle” named Kolajo Olowookere (Akin Lewis) who seems to adore her and played a significant role in her rise to success as an artist.
As the plot unfolds, we find out that Kolajo isn’t really her uncle; he is, in fact, her benefactor. He is a rich and powerful man who rescued and took care of her when she ran away from home as a young girl. He makes advances at her, which she refuses and tells her boyfriend (Kunle Remi). In a flashback — the most employed narrative device in Nollywood — we see the story of how Tutunlade first meets Oloye Kolajo Olowookere.
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The story of “The Benefactor”
The flashback starts at a school prize-giving day where teenage Tutunlade is meant to win an award, but no one is there to stand with her. However, a stranger, Oloye, ended up taking the photo. This part of the story is confusing because it’s unclear why they needed a stranger or why her guardians weren’t present. We later learn that her brother, who was supposed to accompany her, chose sports betting instead. Initially, her family life appears ideal, with loving parents and a brother, and she’s the smartest in her class. Her reward for winning is piano lessons from her father.
However, it’s revealed that these are not her immediate family; her parents died, and her aunt (Joke Muyiwa) and uncle (Bimbo Manuel) have been raising her. Her cousin, David (Tobi Makinde), is jealous of her and his parents’ attention. His nonchalance leads to constant scolding. Unable to afford her education, her aunt sends her to hawk mangoes, where Oloye sees her and takes her home. One day, while delivering a message from her aunt, David tricks her into his room and rapes her. Her guardians cover up the incident, allowing David to escape accountability. He makes fun of her, and she runs away. Oloye’s sister, who takes her back home, finds her, but Tutunlade refuses to go back. Her guardians ask Oloye’s unmarried sister to care for her. He then goes ahead to sponsor her education and musical career, earning himself the title of her benefactor.
In the present, after she refuses him and gets engaged to her boyfriend, Oloye kidnaps, tortures, and rapes her. He also claims ownership due to his role in her success. After receiving treatment, she sues him, leading to a public trial. A young woman with a vendetta against Oloye emerges, sharing her and other women’s stories of his abuse. This woman buys a gun, fatally shoots Oloye, and surrenders. They expose Oloye’s true nature, Tutunlade reconciles with her sick aunt and uncle, and the authorities arrest and imprison David. The film ends with a post-credit scene showing David, mentally ill and roaming the streets, staring at a poster of Tutunlade’s new release.
Nollywood and its obsession with women’s suffering
The story of abuse, rape and a predatory use of power is as old as time. It’s unfortunately one that many women can relate to, especially Nigerian women. In real life, many women never get justice for having to endure such awful experiences and “The Benefactor” explores a reimagined vision of what justice could look like. Unfortunately, it falls short, instead delivering a clumsily-told story that left me feeling unsatisfied.
Firstly, I’m personally quite exhausted by Nollywood films using rape as a plot device. We’ve seen it often, from old Nollywood movies to the more recent ones like The Origin: Madam Koi Koi. I’m aware that these stories exist all around us, but I’d like to stop seeing rape as a plot device in Nollywood storytelling. Tutunlade is first raped by her cousin, resulting in her running away from home. Then, the man who was like a father to her turned out not to be a father but a predator who apparently was grooming her for his eventual abuse.
Seeing women suffer the same abuse we do in real life is jarring, exhausting and makes me immediately lose interest. My only caveat is that if rape must be part of the plot at all, the filmmakers should handle it with the utmost care, for all the severity that it carries. “The Benefactor,” in its attempt to tell a story we’ve all heard before, doesn’t quite achieve the level of care I expect. In the end, Tutunlade’s victory is a hollow one. Oloye dies a quick death and escapes the prolonged suffering he inflicted on his victims.
My honest take on “The Benefactor”
Unsurprisingly, Bimbo Manuel’s acting was my absolute favourite thing about this film. I enjoy the way he steps into his character; he’s completely believable and immediately draws you in. His character, a pastor, was protective and went against the grain a few times. Though he and his wife made a grave mistake in covering up their son’s crime, placing his “ministry” as a pastor over her well-being, his earnestness remained evident. His obvious love for Tutunlade was clear until the end. Something about his face and character somewhat reminded me of my own dad, whom I adore.
I also really liked Toluwani George’s acting — I think she’s brilliant. I also liked her in Ms Kayin, and was delighted to see that her acting skills were just as strong in this film. The set was another factor I enjoyed in this film. They set the flashback scene in the year 2000, and it showed periodically accurate home decor — the house Tutulande grew up in stirred up some serious nostalgia. However, there were a few disparities in timelines. For instance, when they asked young Tutunlade who her favourite artist is, she said Asa. But Asa did not become a nationwide sensation until 2007.
For a film about a wildly successful musical artist, Tutunlade’s music was not the most appealing. I also found the pacing too slow — some scenes were unnecessary and added nothing to the plot. For instance, we spend at least 3 minutes with her in the studio, recording a song. It made it a bit of a tedious watch. The scenes featuring the court case felt anti-climactic and unrefined, with clumsy and unnecessary dialogue. I also really disliked the ending, with the dated trope of the villain who gets their comeuppance by being mentally ill and roaming the streets. It reinforces the outdated belief that mental illness is some sort of consequence for being a terrible person.
As a society, we owe it to ourselves to tell our stories with care and a certain level of attention to detail. Filmmakers should handle stories of women who endure such horrors with care. That said, given the importance of these stories and the challenges of creating in Nollywood, I acknowledge the production effort behind “The Benefactor.”
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