Movie Review: ‘Isura,’ Produced By Victor Oladejo

Reviewed By Ajibare Abioye

“Isura” which translates “Treasure” tells the story of Johnson who is being maltreated by his mother. His challenges take him on a journey seeking security, only for him to find out that the one place that guarantees safety is the shelter of the Almighty. His perseverance under intense pressure and temptations are duly rewarded as he (re)gains treasures he never knew he had or was entitled to.

The pattern in “Isura” which took the sting out of its narrative as a whole is that characters just do things without any visible motivation. This was probably in order to tie it all up at the end, but that unfortunately leaves a trail of numerous questions in its wake. The most troubling for me were Deborah’s – Who is she? Why is she troubled? Why does she show her face to Funke at that time? – and John’s – Did he hit his head so hard (literally and metaphorically) that he’s now an unrepentant advocate for Johnson? How did that happen? The list goes on.

In the same vein, the ritualists’ aspect exceeds its relevance to the plot, while the appearance of his grandma in a dream/trance, the preaching of the word to him and his visit to a (maybe random) pastor are events that don’t align. In terms of temporal setting, “Isura” is situated almost a decade ago for no core reason.

At the end of the day, Johnson never really experiences an arc, which might have been the most powerful aspect of the story. Instead, he gets compensated with his mother and birthright. The kingship however was a bit of a stretch; it was an element that didn’t earn its place in “Isura”, for there hadn’t even been the slightest hint at nobility at any point in the film.

Despite all the plot hassles, the theme song was quite pleasurable. Perhaps, this was a directorial debut; hence, I believe subsequent productions will be much better.

The links to the movie are https://youtu.be/BwFcSHR2akE and https://youtu.be/Dt2yuzAc8vc

Till the next article, stay blessed!

Credits

Isura (March 18, 2023)
115 minutes
PREM Film Productions International

Cast
Victor Oladejo as Johnson
Deborah Adeola as Funke
Favour Otoji as John
Abiola Ojelabi as Deborah
Rebecca Femi Adebile as Iya Debo

Crew
Story
Victor Oladejo
Cinematographer
Francis Fashikun
Editor
Kekere
Director
Victor Oladejo