South African comedy-drama “Baby Mamas” premiered in Nigeria two weeks ago. What’s more, it’s the first South African to be screened in Nigeria theatres.
The film’s director Stephina Zwane and cast member Mosese write a screenplay that touches on pre-marital pregnancy, single parenting and co-parenting, which are very topical in Africa today.
The result is “Baby Mamas”. A story of single mums, Toli (Salamina Mosese) and Sandy (Thembisa Mdoda). And mums-to-be, Chantel (Kay Smith) and Joy (Dineo Ranaka). The friends all work for an insurance company in Johannesburg. It turns out that they all have man trouble but through it all, they stick together.
Toli has a son and is co-parenting with Tumi who seems to have his life in order and wants her back. She’s also the most stable of the foursome. However Sandy’s story is the direct opposite. She has a daughter, Thandiwe aka “Monster”. But on the contrary, Thandiwe’s dad, Ntuthuko (Khaya Mthembu) is ready to move on.
Firstly, “Baby Mamas” highlights the importance of family support in dealing with pre-marital pregnancy. Chantel’s parents do not neglect her. In the same vein, her boyfriend’s mother encouraged him to do what is right. But the most important message in this film is about finding self-love. Along the line, each of the baby mamas make a smart decision to move on. It’s deep-seated when Chantel refused Keenan’s (Donovan Pietersen) marriage proposal she had longed for. Sadly, “Baba Mamas” is plodding. To get its essence, you will need patience to sit through it.
The performance of the ensemble cast is passable but it’s Toli’s son – Tshepo, that steals our hearts. The child actor is a natural. Likewise the glossy pictures. The ladies’ road trip showed scenic South Africa in all its glory and we loved it! Yet we longed for more dramatic heft. As South Africa’s first film to screen in Nigeria’s theatres, we had high hopes for “Baby Mamas”. But South Africa did not put its best foot forward.
Image credit: IMDb
