The PAWN Movie: A Review & some Therapy/Advice
I love watching African movies. Sometimes when people introduce themselves in Konnect Groups (run by GhanaThink) and say that they like movies, I ask them about their favorite Ghanaian or African movies. I saw some billboards for the PAWN movie by Lynx Entertainment and Tigon Creative Studios, and I said to myself that this movie would break my cinema going duck. 100 is more affordable than what I thought the Silverbird Cinema ticket price would be after some horror stories friends shared on WhatsApp. So 1 fine Saturday, after attending a family related funeral with my sister Stacy and her kids, I decided to head to the Accra Mall to watch PAWN. How did you read that? 🤣 Get your mind out of the gutter and read this blog post, so that I can convince you to also go and watch PAWN.
I did not watch the trailer before going to watch this movie. It actually did not occur to me. So I entered the cinema after getting my ticket with no expectations. I expected great music because of Richie & Lynx Entertainment, great production due to the music videos I had seen Tigon Creative Studios work on and great acting because Adjetey Anang would push excellence while Lydia Forson would ensure a movie to remember. I didn't even pay much attention to the lovely branding at the Silverbird Cinema to guess the story. Many people watch movies trying to point holes into whether the storyline is obvious or predictable. I don't, but I can understand them. Well, you have to watch the movie to ascertain that. I watched it alone, I hardly do that, but this was part of my Saturday itinerary. Please, watch PAWN with others okay?
This is where I get you to really appreciate what PAWN stands for. "Patience Awarenees Wellness Nurture". You haven't watched the trailer? Okay, go watch. I'd wait. It is less than 2 minutes, 33 seconds. My conclusion after the very first few scenes: "Adjetey Anang has to be the best actor in Ghana". And then I heard a song by Adina. "Can you hear me?" "Hear me now". If you have followed me via my blog and social media, that should not surprise you. She has benefitted from Lynx Entertainment so having her on the soundtrack was not surprising, but fulfilling. The movie is about "distinct personalities, different parts of you that come out in different situations". Alter-egos. I have #MightyAfrican alter-egos too, not too different in character, they just hail from different countries. Nigeria. Uganda. Kenya. South Africa. Tanzania. Ethiopia. "You’re suppressing memories". In order to remember more things that my alter-ego does, I like to write down personal stories through my #MightyAfricab blog on or social media. The alter-egos in this movie is a bit extreme but the good news is they still come through to make things work.
What triggers the changes in alter-egos? Situations. However, you need to tell yourself, "I am in control". They say therapy is expensive but useful. I would love to talk to a therapist. I enjoy talking to my marriage counsellor with my wife. Earlier this year, thanks to work, I spoke to a psychologist who is also called Ato. That was so useful. It made me want to write chapters in my book, "Positivity Rules". Sika Osei must have been a very expensive therapist o! The accent alone adds a couple of zeros. On the real, in which institutions in Ghana, do these types of therapists and psychologists get trained? The PAWN movie shed a great light on therapy and how we should take it seriously. I don't think you should only see a therapist if you have a "dissociative disorder". Multiple personality disorders. Don't worry, if someone says you have that, just smile or laugh. And look at how you can make that work for you!
The movie has traces of Inspector Bediako, one of the all-time top series made in Ghana. Yes, you guessed right. Adjetey Anang plays a detectiove in this one. "We depend on you to solve the cases". I have always liked detective cases. Maybe it is why I like solving problems, or what took me to do engineering for my first and second degrees. When my phone and wallet was pickpocketed at the Accra Sports Stadium around Independence Day 2013, I thought of Inspector Bediako. In order to solve cases, you cannot use one type of mind, or similar emotions. They must all come to play. "I like results, I need cases resolved". "All my works produces successes".
I ran into Nikki Samonas at a coded location sometime in the last 2.33 years. I think she shined in her role in PAWN. So did the young boy who played a young version of Adjetey Anang. I became a fan of Richmond Amoakoah like most people thanks his lawyer role in Kejetia vrs Makola, produced by my friend Louis Lamis. This movie was more of an Accra setting than Kumasi for sure. Didn't Gloria Sarfo cut her teeth in Kumawood? I have seen her in a number of English productions like this one and she has done well. Lydia Forson is the queen indeed. She has held the fort in several films in Ghana since he brakthrough roles in Scorned, A Sting In A Tale, Perfect Picture, etc. She remains one of the very best. Prince David Osei shines in prince type roles where he has things at his beck and call. Wasei paa lol! Sika Osei? She was a surprise in more than 4 different ways. Watch the movie to discover that.
I love how the movie leveraged lots of popular lingo in Ghana. It reminded me of what Latif Abubakar does with his theatre plays. "WKHKYD". "Fellow Ghanaians". While watching the movie, I tried to recognize some spots and places I might have been to. I didn't recognize a lot of them. It means I have not been going a lot since I got married. Yeap. That's one alter-ego which has been suppressed for good measure 🤣. I love the places the movie was shot at, it speaks well of the cosmopolitan nature of Ghana. It also shows the economic development. It must. Aren't some of you wanting to travel for colder pastures because what you saw in Hollywood movies? Go and chill and spend more in Ghana, ₵100 only for this movie.
If your alter-ego makes you do bad things, there are "Second Chances". But note that, there might not always be an "excuse that you ran away from". Don't have all the discussions with family, friends, fools, etc. "You wanna replace my therapist now?" Seek professional help though. Put some small sika down. Yɛ, na ɛnsɛe hwee! You must be fully responsible for your actions though.
There's another song I heard by Richie that I did not recognize. I saw him after the movie and congratulated him. He and his team did a phenomenal job, with the sound, cast choice, acting, production, visuals, storyline, etc. The movie had its comedic scenes, it had its dramatic scenes, and multiple elements of shock. It had its typical Ghanaian moments and moments that should happen less and less in Ghana.
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