Gone Too Far!

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Who knew a trip to the local shop to buy okra could be so eventful and full of joke. That’s just what you get with Bola Agbaje, movie ‘Gone Too Far’, an adaptation of her award winning play staged at the Royal Court Theatre in 2007. Bola has re-written parts of the stage play for film, removing the references and action centred around ‘knife crime’ and repositioning the drama around unrequited love. Yemi the main character’s crush on the ‘tink she too nice’ Armani, leads him through and around a London estate, trailed by his ‘Johny Jus’ Come’ brother Iku. Armani is pursued by Razer, her ex man, who she still has a ting for, and is only using Yemi to make her ex jealous.

The plot skilfully interweaves the diversity of communities on London’s streets, much like Spike Lee would provide a canvass for America’s rich cultural mix in his films. The Chinese, Asian, English, Caribbean and African communities all get a ‘holla’ in this movie. This includes a cameo from Bhasker Patel, better known to Emmerdale viewers as Rishi. But the emphasis is definitely on comedy. I for one was ‘ben’ing up’ in Park Royal Vue’s cinema seat, joined by a collection of ages, and races.

The movie, as well as side-splitting, was truly relatable, particularly to first generation Black British, grown in the 80’s where the lines between the African and Caribbean communities were more distinct. Nowadays, with the ‘afro-beats’ generation, any schisms that may have existed between African people and Caribbean peoples, thankfully seem long behind us. The arrival of Yemi’s brother is also largely played for comedy affect, as I doubt whether any self-respecting Nigerian would arrive in London with socks and sandals. Or whether they’d be in awe of London, as they may have been in the 1950’s, when it was felt that the streets were ‘paved with gold’. Although the ‘lighty mentality’ displayed in the film with the light skinned Armani and her best friend, dark skinned Paris, is unfortunately still predominant, fuelled by the media’s love of ‘fair skin’. The portrayal of young people could also have benefitted from more than one dimensional characterisation; the angry black youth, ruling the local estate and feared by residents; black on black hatred; the black girlfriend, inciting her young black man to violence. But that may be more the fault of those funding the film, who tend to fund ‘stereotypes’, rather than portrayals of rounded Black and non-white characters and storylines.

The movie’s comedy does win the day, and stand out direction from Destiny Ekaragha’s full of ‘bus’ out’ moments and hilarious observations of community culture. Yemi’s Mother is a complete laugh and it’s also refreshing to see and hear a film that recognises that the English language in Britain can often be the ‘minority language’. It’s also good to see Black people speaking with their own dialects, without being sub titled!

If you want a proper ‘ben’ing up’ laugh, skip the Netflix business, brush up on your Yoruba, or get to know it, an go see this movie.

By New Writer