Emeka Kachikwu’s “Boss Of All Bosses” conveniently passes for a larger-than life comic relief to the myriad of problems that we face in Nigeria.
It can be very hard to place fingers on the humorous sides of Nigeria’s biting issues. This is where this movie scores some enviable marks.
The office where Tony, the boss works is comically shaped so that it is an apt microcosm of the daily struggles of average Nigerians who’d travel miles to make ends meet.
Office as metaphor for Nigeria
The office is, therefore, such a comic metaphor for Nigeria where everyone tries to outdo one another to relevance and all that the national cake offers. The office is stratified and deeply polarized based on levels of individual relevance, economic power, posts, occupation, and functionality.
A crucial symbol of tussle in the office is the seat of the M.D. At the beginning, Tony occupies this seat and he obviously abuses the power of the seat as he molests the ladies, harasses the guys, dips his itchy hands into the company’s wealth, goes late to the office, in short, turns the office upside down in the bit to remain permanently in the corridor of power.
This is by no means a caricature presentation of our Nigerian political jobbers who maim, shout, steal, kill and destroy all in the name of seating tight permanently in the seat of power.
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Oil and power
An interesting aspect of this movie is the name of the company where all the wars are happening. Hemcorps Oil & Gas Corporation is pivotal to the calculated meaning which the movie hopes to invoke as at the base of all distractions, eruptions, and disruptions in Nigeria is oil. This company is strangely interested in getting involved with a big client so as to help him transport petroleum to other parts of the world.
Of course, that's where the dollars flow in but this act would in a lot of ways perpetuate the menace of poverty in Nigeria as all eyes become fixated on the money without a thought on national development. This is this movie's brilliant way of calling for de-emphasizing the monstrous attention on crude oil and making us see reasons we should explore other sectors of the economy.
Wit and humour
The wit and humour in this movie reached another dimension when the C.E.O of the company shows up in such an unexpected way. He has always been there. He is ironically the chief cleaner of the office. He follows the dubious acts of the M.D closely. He then introduces himself as the owner of the company.
Tony does not believe but when he sees all the company papers which have the cleaner’s signatures and names all over, he accepts his fate and expects an immediate dismissal as he pleads to retain his post.
The smart C.E.O quenches any thought of sacking the erring M.D, instead, he sets him up for a competition. He’d pitch him up against a new employee who will also be an M.D. There are two M.Ds and the winner eventually retains the post while the loser is sacked with immediate effect. The injection of Samuel into the office life leaves us with the imagery of a broken seat.
Broken seat
The broken seat further intensifies the bilious office atmosphere as office workers queue behind the two M.Ds who are constantly shouting down each other’s throats. This is typical of PDP and APC, the two prevalent political parties in Nigeria. The chasm widens as the two factions employ all malicious means to outwit and outdo each other just so that one faction can be eventually obliterated.
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It is the manner in which they employ the tactics that places this movie among the movies that explore Nigerian problems from a fresh perspective. Never in Nollywood has a comedy ever solely focused the madness of power as the farcical techniques employed in "Boss of All Bosses."
The approaches of these power brokers in the struggle for retention of the M.D seat are emblematic of the Machiavellian methods that Nigerian rulers often bring to the fore when they gun for an office or get a political appointment.
The treacherous means are so humorously painted that the deep lessons could be lost on you while you are busy laughing. It is in this movie that insults come as endearments; it is in this movie that mediocrity is the norm; it is in this movie that a fowl challenges an M.D to a duel right in his office.
It is in this movie that guns are toys. That is as realistic as it can get. In our waking reality, guns are toys for everyone; the police, the Boko Haram sect and other devious members of the society kill for a pastime using smuggled ammunition.
It is written and produced by Emeka Kachikwu. The movie boasts of a mélange of thespians such as Patience Uzokwor, Chinedu Emmanuel, Adunni Ade, Eniola Badmus, Sani Danja, Ime Bishop Umoh, etc.
Now playing in Cinemas.
Written by Omidire Idowu.