Reviewed By Ajibare Abioye
Hey folks! You’re welcome to the first feature film review of 2023, and I can tell you it’s a good one. “Borrowed Time” was YouTube-released on January 1 and is a worthwhile curtain raiser for the year. If other productions in 2023 will look anything like this movie, then we’re in for a really good year.
Ajibare Abioye
“Borrowed Time” is only forty minutes long, just above the threshold of a short film, but it’s loaded with enough technicality for a ninety-minute motion picture. Everything about its first few minutes hooked me in – the poetic opening narration was flowery, its italicized lettering spoke intentionality, the opening establishment shot was mind-boggling, the opening credits font style was specialized for the movie’s concept, the background sound, though a few times overshadowing lines, felt dreamy, and the oscillations between times were just brilliant.
I read a book by the director on screenwriting “Breadcrumbs” a few months ago, and it was an enlightening experience for me. When I saw that he would be producing a movie of his own, I eagerly awaited what “Borrowed Time” would deliver. My verdict is that he and the screenwriter did with this movie what only seasoned directors do – try new things that produce refreshing results. I think the most impressive thing this feature does is its optimisation of time passage to deliver a solid callback towards the denouement, all the more solidifying our interest in the characters. I sincerely hope all Christian movies this year will do the needful to get the audience to care about their characters.
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The reformative power of this movie is beautiful to watch, even showing itself in an unexpected quarter, in a surprisingly deep way. The imagery that stood out the most for me was that dealing with the devil is the reverse of Matthew 6:33 – he’ll take that very important thing first, and all other things will be subtracted from the person. He does this to the protagonist, Otunba Femi, played by Kayode Babalola, and we’re left to wish he’d just waited a little longer. The scriptures teach us in Psalm 27:14 how to wait for God – patiently and confidently. I pray the Holy Spirit will empower us to do this as we anticipate God’s promised blessings on us.
Seeing Otunba’s son, Wale, and making clearer the protagonist’s connection to the prostitute, and the leverage she had on Doctor Dan would have lent more credence to the movie though. In a nutshell, “Borrowed Time” is a brilliant movie that is worth your time and will bless you.
If you’ve seen it, please share with me your thoughts on it in the comments section below. The link to the movie is https://youtu.be/Ydga9Jf6B80.
Till the next article, stay blessed!