Happy Sunday evening, everyone! I just watched the new movie And Then Came Grace, produced by Omoni Oboli, a Nigerian Nollywood actress. I call her the best female producer because all her movies come with a great lesson to learn from.
The movie starts with Bimbo Ademoye, who plays Grace, taking care of a patient who's having a terrible nightmare about her. Despite the patient's fears, Grace calms her down and reassures her that it's just a dream. Later, Grace rushes home to get ready for church, but her car refuses to start. Luckily, her neighbor Kunle (Taye Arimoro) comes to her rescue and takes her to church in his own car.
In church, the pastor's wife praises Grace for her good works and mentions that a rich woman in the church wants her to marry her son Richard, who's a God-fearing man. Richard later travels to Nigeria to meet Grace and claims that God has told him she's the one he's meant to marry. However, Grace is hesitant and asks for time to pray about it.
As the story unfolds, we learn about Kunle's troubled past and his struggles with faith. Despite this, he and Grace grow closer, and it's clear that they have feelings for each other. However, the pastor's wife advises Grace against pursuing a relationship with Kunle because he's not a devoted Christian.
The movie takes a dramatic turn when Richard's true intentions are revealed on their wedding day. Richard, under the influence of some medication, reveals that his mother has been manipulating him into marrying Grace because he has bipolar disorder, and that he never truly loved her. He also exposes the pastor's wife, revealing that she was only supporting the marriage because of the money she was receiving from his mother. The wedding ceremony ends in chaos, and Grace is left heartbroken.
After the wedding incident, Grace remembered the dream the patient always had concerning her - that the cross she was about to carry was heavy and she couldn't carry it. The patient had also had a dream where she was telling Grace that the cross was heavy for her. It all made sense now - the patient had been talking about Richard all along.
After some time to reflect and clear her head, Grace went to the church and discovers the truth about the pastor's wife being manipulated by Richard's mother, and the pastor's wife begs for her forgiveness. In the end, Grace and Kunle get engaged.
I rate this movie 10/10 because it goes beyond the stereotypical love stories we often see in Nollywood. The storyline is engaging, and the lessons learned are powerful and refreshing. The movie highlights the importance of forgiveness, hearing God's voice personally, and having a personal relationship with Him. These movie is timely and relevant messages, especially in the African cultural context where many believers rely solely on what their pastor or pastor's wife says instead of hearing from God directly.