RedTV’s “Men’s Club” brings together an ensemble cast and uses slices of life to show why some Nigerian marriages are troubled.
“The Men’s Club” revolves around four friends namely; Aminu Garba (Ayoola Ayolola), Louis Okafor (Baaj Adebule), Lanre Taiwo (Daniel Etim-Effiong) and Tayo Oladapo (Efa Iwara).
Of the foursome, Tayo should be the suave one – although his stylist has done a shoddy job. He wife is Naomi (Grace Ajilore) and he works for her father. As with some Nigerian marriages, it is her licence to misbehave. Naomi is a bad nag. The only thing as bad as her nagging is her fake British accent. And if women like Naomi truly exist, onlookers will will not blame Tayo for cheating.
Just like Tayo, Aminu’s girlfriend Jasmine (Sharon Ooja) is overbearing. Aminu is the arrogant billionaire with a very tasteful bachelor’s pad but whose office doesn’t befit a private jet owner. Jasmine would go to great lengths to marry Aminu. And Aminu’s Hausa is music to our eyes.
The third of the foursome is Louis (Baaj Adebule). Louis is also from an otherwise well-to-do family. Although he is engaged to Tonye (Seyilola Ogidan) Louis maintains a relationship with his childhood love, Lola. The thing is, Louis and Tonye’s relationship is a business deal. Tonye’s family needs a ‘business cover’ while Louis’s family ‘needs the political backing.’ Initially, you want to root for Louis and Lola’s love until you realise that Tonye is also a victim.
As for Lanre, save for getting involved with his client, he might have been the most straight up of the four friends. But he ends up having an affair with an older woman who also happens to be his girlfriend’s friend’s mother. Meanwhile, his friendship with Louis is under threat because the latter attempts an affair with his younger sister, Folake. It is convoluted!
In the end, the first season of RedTV’s Men’s Club is about why some Nigerian men cheat. At first, it’s not exciting. For instance, the opening scene of episode 1, “A Man’s World.” is a no-no. But if it doesn’t deter you from watching further, you’ll eventually find yourself wanting to see more from characters like Louis.
The actors in “The Men’s Club” largely get a pass mark. But the Louis Okafor character is a really interesting one. Louis reminds you of Quentin (Terrence Howard) in “The Bestman.” He is a philanderer, who is carefree and blunt. But amid his craziness, he speaks the truth. Watching most kissing scenes in Nollywood movies and series is a harrowing experience but Baaj does it naturally. Mimi Chaka plays Aminu’s love interest; she’s another natural.
For any series, a strong ending is just as important as the beginning. To achieve a strong ending, Dami Elebe’s screenplay might have crammed too many plot twists into the last episodes of season one. Elebe has to be mindful of this if “The Men’s Club” is to keep audiences engaged for several seasons.
With decent production values, the first season of RedTV’s “Men’s Club” is entertaining but not mind-blowing. Season one comprised of 10 episodes. It would be interesting to see how season two unfolds.
“The Men’s Club” was released on 8 October 2018 and is streaming on RedTV’s Youtube channel.
Director: Tola Odunsi
Cast includes; Ayo Ola, Etim Effiong, Efa Iwara, Sharon Ooja Egwurube, Baaj Adebule, Grace Ajilore, Enado Odigie, Dineo Mofammere, Mimi Chaka, Segilola Ogidan and Nengi Adoki.
