Throwback: Celebrating Olu Jacobs in Chico Ejiro's Onome: Another love

Oludotun Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs recently turned 80 and to mark the milestone, it has been a whole week of nostalgic memories of the veteran’s remarkable career that spanned over four decades.

For this week’s throwback, we take you down memory lane to the Chico Ejiro directed Onome: Another Love, a film well ahead of its time and with Jacobs delivering one of his many stellar performances.

Written by Opa Williams, Joe Dudun, Fred Amata, Onome: Another Love is a 1996/1997 two-part Nollywood masterpiece.

Cast: Uche Mac-Auley, Olu Jacobs, Sam Loco Efe and Zack Amata, Rachael Oniga.

Synopsis

Onome (Uche Mac-Auley) is an orphan from a slum on the edge of Lagos who has to provide for her sibling and herself with great difficulty. She comes in contact with a rich man, Dafe (Olu Jacobs) who takes her case to heart and gives her a turning-point, offering her his protection.

Onome is an urban melodrama that is laced with social criticism.

Onome: Another Love is one of the finest masterpieces by the legendary Chico Ejiro. And the performance from the veteran actor, Olu Jacobs is also unforgettable. Onome is a dramatic blend of two worlds; the world of the rich and poor.

The film grows on the background of the violent events from the opening sequence and sustains the pace all throughout the film.

The spine story characters live worlds apart: Dafe in a luxurious home in a highbrow neighborhood, Onome in Ajegunle, the Lagos slum where dirty streets are flooded with stagnant water, in a one-room apartment together with sick mother, brothers and younger sister.

The more he tries to help, the deeper is her misery. This is one of the many satirical and ironic elements in the classical masterpiece.

The outstanding cinematography and direction are accompanied by a well written story, layered characters and excellent performance cast. The male characters are adequately performed by veteran actors Olu Jacobs, Sam Loco Efe and Zack Amata

Onome is a refreshing watch. One that will linger in the hearts of anyone who sees it for a long time. Not just because of the storyline, but also the performance of one of the forerunners of the work, Olu Jacobs.