Directed by: Akin Omotoso
Starring: Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Fabian Adeoye Lojede, Fana Mokoena, Makhoala Ndebele, Thisiwe Ziqubu
Distributed by T.O.M. Pictures
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 88 minutes
Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars
“Man on Ground” is definitely one hell of a visual film but I found myself scratching my head throughout the movie. I commend Akin Omotoso on his artistic vision but the story is a little too difficult to follow through out. The film isn’t all bad though, it packs a very intense cast who each deliver wonderful performances. I do not feel that this film will have much reach to a mainstream audience but the indie world might grasp on, if they can follow it.
The story follows the disappearance of a young Nigerian man, Femi (Fabian Adeoye Lojede), after being run out of his country and imprisoned. His brother, Ade (Hakeem Kae-Kazim), who is a London banker goes looking for him and tries to get the the bottom of this mystery. Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Fabian Adeoye Lojede and Thisiwe Ziqubu, who plays Femi’s fiancee, all give fantastic performances.
The film aimed as a thriller and it definitely succeeds in that area. It shows the thrilling would of the immigrant underworld in South Africa. One note of the shoot was the scenes of the smoking, it was shot with slow-motion and very intense. Another saving factor for the film is that it is short, running only 88 minutes. If Omotoso could have resolved the narrative issues this could have been a successfully thriller.
