The Contract

The Contract is a romantic comedy from Ghana that tells the story of two individuals who find themselves falling in love thunderously and loudly. This is a narrative that offers a different approach towards the romance genre; rather than being saturated with unnecessary flicks, it generates a fresh story-line. The film stars Hlomla Dandala as Peter Puplampo, a rich successful businessman, and self proclaimed bachelor, looking for offspring but not a spouse. As Peter has an aversion to both the traditional route of courting or wedlock where procreation is both prerequisite and primary objective, he makes a contrived “contract” seeking solely Fatherhood without attachments or marriages.

Yvonne Okoro stars as Abena Boateng, a headstrong and free spirited woman who marries Peter’s vision though the circumstances in which both of them come together was not within her plans. As the couple begins settling into their new arrangement formed, Peter and Abena’s differing worlds create friction with one another forcing them into an improbable romance that complicates everything. Andrew Okadi’s fun screenplay touches various issues of love, relationships, couple goals and independence with comedy woven into romance in equal measure.

Awards & Wins:

The Contract was well received both in the African circle of movies , winning several prizes and nominations for its acting and exquisite writing:

Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA)

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Yvonne Okoro – Winner

Best Writing – For a funny and unconventional plot, won a nomination.

Ghana Movie Awards: Best Actor – Hlomla Dandala (Nomination) Best Picture – Nominated for its standout production. Most of these awards highlight the fact that the African romantic comedy has some unique selling points which has allowed it to be accepted by many people. Cast & Crew: Director: Shirley Frimpong-Manso Main Cast: Hlomla Dandala as Peter Puplampo – A successful bachelor who distances himself from commitment and wishes to have a child under his own on his terms. Yvonne Okoro as Abena Boateng – A woman who is very self-sufficient and has her conditions as opposed to Peter who seems to have a single-minded approach to everything. Joseph Benjamin as Peter’s friend, who also serves as a source of humour and a glance at Peter’s unreasonable attitude as to why people fall in love. Screenplay: Shirley Frimpong-Manso, who wrote the film, incorporated sharp and amusing talks between Peter and Abena showing how and what sorts of people they are and the chemistry they share. Cinematography: A bright graphic and refined style offers a view of the contemporary city of Accra that brings the sophistication that is interesting to look at. Music: In his work, Ivan Ayitey composed music with modern African rhythms and romance in the song’s essence to suit the emotional scenes of the film. IMDb Ratings: IMDb Score: 6.6/10 The audience welcomed the movie’s new concept concerning love, as well as the message it transmits about relationships. However, some people who watched it found it a bit predictable. Nonetheless, the works of its leads and humorous parts make it a memorable movie.

Personal Insights:

The Contract happens to be a funny yet warm film that delves into the multitude of issues pertaining to love and independence with a comedic twist whilst being entertaining at the same time. It is worth noting that Hlomla Dandala as Peter goes beyond the typical role of a man in fear of commitment. Some of the highlights of this film were her interactions with Yvonne Okoro’s Abena especially when her character constantly strains his strict boundaries and this exposes Peter as lacking the willpower to change.

Yvonne Okoro’s performance as Abena is key to the narrative; she injects some much-needed sass and assertiveness making her character one of the many who actually contribute to the undermining of female stereotypes typical in romcoms. The way Okoro and Dandala portray the love story on screen fits in a smooth way as they start from quarrels to teasing and finally romance.

Another key finding about this film is how it addresses the issues surrounding marriage and parenting as well as the social norms that are commonplace in most African societies. The plot is able to take the word ‘contract’ and redefine it as an adventure of freedom, choice and love with humorous romantic curves in the walk.

Cultural Significance:

The Contract brings additional insightful and entertaining voice into the African cinema by addressing issues of marriage, love and independence within a modern context. It is evident that there is a third wave emerging within African films, which is developing the upper class side of relationships that is not presented in a very ethical or predictable disposition of good versus bad. It can be assumed that the film’s tone, which employs simple comic techniques to the underpinning problems, finds many followers in audiences of not only Nollywood but also Ghanaian cinema.

Through the portrayal of alternative marriages and relationships, The Contract challenges the audience’s perception of family structure whilst also exploring independence and societal expectations surrounding marriage. It’s enjoyable, it’s modern and it is a classic love story, presenting us with a notion that strong feelings or strong relationships do not have to mature in according to the traditional building blocks of a relationship, hence, it will suit anyone looking for something different from the regular romantic comedies.