My Father’s Shadow

Directed by Akinola Davies Jr., My Father’s Shadow follows a Nigerian father (Sope Dirisu’s Folarin) as he travels to Lagos with his two sons (Godwin Chiemerie Egbo’s Aki and Chibuike Marvellous Egbo’s Remi). It’s exceedingly (and excessively) low-key subject matter that’s employed to progressively underwhelming effect by Davies Jr., as the filmmaker, armed with his and Wale Davies’ screenplay, delivers a meandering, uneventful narrative that contains few attributes designed to wholeheartedly capture and sustain the viewer’s interest – with the arms-length atmosphere compounded by a general lack of context or even character development. (Dirisu offers up a strong performance that’s practically negated by Davies Jr.’s frustrating reluctance to flesh out the details of Folarin’s past or relationships.) And while the picture is admittedly very well-made, with Jermaine Canute Bradley Edwards’ striking, lush cinematography certainly a recurring highlight within the proceedings, My Father’s Shadow ultimately comes off as a decent short that’s been painfully stretched out to feature length with little thought towards forward momentum or entertainment value – which is a shame, ultimately, given the potential afforded by Dirisu’s compelling efforts and the decidedly exotic locale.

** out of ****