Movie Review: 'Burning Bridges' Is it okay for your husband to have a female best friend?

A while back, an Anonymous commenter asked me to review 'Burning Bridges'....

So this week, I saw a 2hours, 39 minutes long Nigerian movie...it's not that I haven't seen longer movies (Rita Dominic's The Meeting  was almost three hours long but it was fun)  however, this was one was sooooo long and to worsen matters, the movie didn't even end well, they had write what happened to the characters at the end...after all the almost 3hours spent, really?!

Starring: Ivie Okujaye, Esther Audu, Ken Erics

Synopsis:

Rose and Louis (Ivie Okujaye & Ken Erics) were in love and about to be married. He was a few years older but after two months of meeting each other, he popped the question.

Directed by Okey Ozu, Burning Bridges (2015) is a Nigerian film, though its central conflict is certainly common across all cultures.

Rose (Ivie Okujaye) and Louis (Ken Erics) have known each other for a short time, but in that short time they have grown very fond of one another. They are in love and plan to marry. There’s just one hiccup: Louis’s best friend is a woman, Terry (Esther Audu).

Is it really possible for Louis to be so close to a female friend without becoming more than a friend?

Well, as the two looked forward to their special day, Louis thought it was time Rose met his best friend, Terry (Esther Audu). Rose had no issue with the fact that Terry was a woman but problems transpired when it became apparent that Esther knew her man better than she did.

As outside influences caused Rose to question the friendship between Terry and Louis, it in turn drove a wedge in her marriage. The relationship between Terry and Louis had been strictly platonic until the night she allowed him to kiss her. Feelings that were either subconscious or harbored instantly rose to the surface. What Rose feared most came true and her marriage was left on the chopping block.

As for this movie, the story execution was poor. It had snail pacing and was painfully boring at times.

It took an entire hour and thirty-five minutes for the story to shift as the characters in the platonic relationship came to terms with their true feelings...and it became so boring from then on!

Their forbidden kiss was what ignited the drama but by then it was too late.

Some light-hearted scenes were inserted that made the movie even longer and Terry’s love life as the subplot was weak.

In terms of the story, Rose feared her husband was sleeping with Terry yet she allowed Tanna, her floozy looking friend, to move into the home and flaunt her assets. Hmm…The “Tanna” character was unnecessary and one of Rose’s sisters could have served her purpose in the story.

Some memorable lines were when Louis told Rose “you made it difficult for me to keep loving you.” How lame. If his heart was somewhere else then just say that. Also, he told Terry that he didn’t think she could be the woman for him – something to that effect. Dude, seriously? Terry was a beautiful woman that he had a rock solid friendship with so what was the problem? What happens more often than not is the fear of rejection.

No complaints about performances. The characters in the love triangle were captivating to watch with Ivie Okujaye as the standout. It’s the story that fizzled and required a stronger plot and proficient editing.

“Burning Bridges” requires a lot of patience to watch. Although its subject matter is one that could be discussed ‘til the end of time, the movie didn’t present anything new or worthwhile.