Synopsis:
Fifty is a Nigerian drama film directed by Biyi Bandele and tells the story of four successful fifties women resiliently walking through the harsh environment of Lagos. The film portrays their struggles and victories in dealing with love, infidelity, family, and self-realisations.
Tola (Dakore Egbuson-Akande) is a participant actor of a reality television show who is hiding her dark past which is going to break her joyful looking life and family.
Elizabeth (Ireti Doyle) is a rich ultra-modern obstetrician and venturing into relationships with minors pits her against her grown-up daughter.
Maria (Omoni Oboli) is a career woman who gets involved with a married man and finds herself in a predicament of getting pregnant.
Kate (Nse Ikpe-Etim) is a strong faith woman who is cradling a terminally sick womb and seeking to mom up with her distant household.
These women transforming into fifty have experiences blazing clashes in their progression which causes them to reconsider their decisions, platonic relationships, and status as a woman in contemporary Nigeria.
Awards & Wins:
Fifty was critically acclaimed for its bold portrayal of middle-aged Nigerian women, with the film earning recognition at both local and international festivals. Some key accolades include:
- Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) 2016:
- Best Actress in a Drama – Ireti Doyle (Nomination)
- Best Director – Biyi Bandele (Nomination)
- Best Supporting Actress – Nse Ikpe-Etim (Nomination)
The film’s soundtrack, featuring Nigerian artists like Waje, King Sunny Ade, and Tiwa Savage, was also praised for its contribution to the film’s emotional tone.
Cast & Crew:
- Director: Biyi Bandele
- Main Cast:
- Dakore Egbuson-Akande as Tola – The reality TV star with a buried family secret.
- Ireti Doyle as Elizabeth – The successful, no-nonsense doctor who indulges in relationships with younger men.
- Omoni Oboli as Maria – The career-driven woman entangled in an affair with a married man.
- Nse Ikpe-Etim as Kate* – The religious, terminally ill woman seeking reconciliation with her family.
- Screenplay: Biyi Bandele
- Cinematography: Malcolm McLean
- Music: Produced by Cobhams Asuquo and others
IMDb Ratings:
- IMDb Score: 6.2/10
- The film received positive reviews for its daring portrayal of older women, a demographic often underrepresented in Nollywood. While some viewers felt that certain subplots lacked depth, the performances, particularly those of Ireti Doyle and Nse Ikpe-Etim, were widely praised.
Personal Insights:
The story of ‘Fifty’ is a worthy entry in the Nollywood industry because it tells a story not commonly depicted in Nigerian films- middle-aged, successful women in their fifties. It has shed off most of the Nollywood clichés in which the films revolve around romantic or family issues and rather zooms on the psychological, inner, and social conflicts that accompany growing old while portraying these women as vibrant, complicated, and fully made up.
Dakore Egbuson-Akande’s Tola has also been brilliantly breathed into by the actress only that hers is a tortured soul whom, to her credit, the film does not reveal too soon; Tola’s layers are peeled quite gradually. Ireti Doyle is irresistible as Elizabeth, a seemingly successful, gorgeous and rich woman, who has emotional issues especially, with her daughter. Generation gap is another hot premise in this film and specifically Elizabeth’s arc touches upon the different eras of Nigerian women and the kinds of women’s lives they had.
The way Nse Ikpe-Etim as Kate depicts a woman battling for her life is a simply stunning performance and arguably the most moving part of the film. There is no shortage in Olivia when she pours her heart out in disbelief at why her family doesn’t want her even in the system knowing she is unwell.
However, another aspect imbibed by Omoni Oboli’s Maria is, the dual life, extramarital relationships, and personal ambitions that run at crossroads with one’s principles. The relationship that Maria develops with a married man also makes her evaluate the impact of her decision in a culture that is highly governed by ethics and family.
Fifty is also exceptional in the manner in which it depicts Lagos, as a city in a plethora of contradictions-wealth-poverty, and old-traditional new-modernity which is captured around the life of these women. The properties are sumptuous and the cinematography tends more towards glamourous pictures of elite living in Lagos with designer clothes and yes, designer places. However, behind the façade also lies family mosaics, social caricatures, and aging woes that beautiful and successful women experience in real life.
The soundtrack, compiled by top novelas artists in Nigeria, combines old and new genres of music similar to the theme of the movie which aims at merging the traditional and contemporary cultures.
While Fifty is at times faulted for not tackling some of the more pertinent aspects of the story, for instance the aftermath of trauma or diseases such as terminal illness, it is for its merits and its take in the Nollywood that has set the movie entirely apart. This emphasis on older, independent and successful women is rather daring in a profession that often promotes young characters and family feud dramas. The movie gets to a huge audience who want, especially African women, portrayed not as weak and needy but as real people making choices, mistakes and facing challenges, not as societies would want to portray them.
Cultural Impact:
Fifty broke new ground by focusing on middle-aged women in an industry that typically highlights younger female protagonists. The film’s success contributed to the growing trend in Nollywood of creating content that appeals to a broader demographic, including older women who are often overlooked. It also opened up conversations around the roles and expectations placed on women in Nigerian society, particularly regarding marriage, success, and personal fulfillment after the age of fifty.
