One of the most compassionate actors I know in this world is Matilda Obaseki. The most remarkable thing about the House of Obaseki is that they work hard and strive for prominence in the arts, in science and technology, and administration. Matilda is no exception. Over the decades, she has been exemplary in extending the boundaries and refining and redefining the concept of filmmaking.
The first time I saw this screen goddess who hails from Edo State, I fell in love, which translates to “I wanted to see more of her films”. She has a knack for portraying the innocent, naïve, confused or devoted lady in her films, but to give it that depth of characterization that experts deliver effortlessly. This quality is subtle and is quite easily comprehensible to the experts of the trade. In simple terms, she is quite excellent at whatever she is assigned to do. However, as usual, I don’t expect you to take my word for it. Let us see what Matilda is about. Let’s begin with:
THE SHOP GIRL: Sometime in 2018, The ScriptShop Studios cooked this delicious heartfelt love story embodied in a film and delivered it to millions of viewers worldwide on the platform of ROK Studios. I love this storyline because it felt realistic and relatable on so many levels. After watching this film, you will realize that those iconic and timeless expressions like “A true friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out on you” or “A friend in need is a friend indeed” are mere words until Matilda made them alive in the character of Linda while she starred alongside Mike Godson who played Emeka, the heartbroken guy who owned a simple boutique. Emeka was heartbroken and persisted in being resistant to Linda’s endeavours – both subtle and frontal – to make him a better man. We can relate to the film as we all have that ex-boyfriend or girlfriend who messed us up, but actually gave us the key to self-discovery and success. I learnt from this film that, whether we rise above or fall under the weight of our challenges depends on the strength and degree of our motivation. And also, you can never know who to trust completely until they come into your life and stay. By the way, I loved seeing Yemi Blaq after a long time as his depth of characterization coupled with his villainous presence and interactions brought the story to life in the best possible manner. I mean, I love a bad guy. Who does not? This film has several life lessons, but let me chill on the moral lessons for now so we can move forward.
CHILDREN OF MUD: This is a gripping tale of two orphans, Emem and Miracle. A precocious girl and her blind brother who happen to be living with their auntie, Aniesin, played by Matilda Obaseki. I believe she was exciting to watch in this thoughtful and pragmatic film. Sometimes you want to hate Auntie Aniesin, but then you realize she is not being wicked on purpose but out of ignorance. We often make the mistake as storytellers to demonize our villains as much we can, but in truth, it is the innate humanity of the antagonist that makes them so riveting and compelling, as if we can see a part of ourselves in them. And that’s where Matilda excels at – the exploration, deconstruction and humanization of complicated characters, so we can sympathize with their rationale without actually accepting their mindset, world-view or ideology. I must specifically applaud the brutish realism with which the theme of religious naivety was showcased by the characters. And, of course, there are so many lessons to learn but since every viewer brings their own personal experience to a film, I suggest you go watch it yourself. Yes, go and behold the beautiful fairy that is Matilda.
QUEEN OF QUEENS: I love epic films. Epic films, I believe, are the highest standards of everything cinematic. This story about Oba Ewuakpe (Nosa Obaseki) and Queen Iden (Matilda Obaseki) is profoundly symbolic of what true love really entails. True Love Is Sacrifice. We can relate to this scenario: We are down on our luck, either through our own faults or simply because of the endless vicissitudes of life. Then all of our supporters leave. And then, the most unlikely person in our life chooses to stay, and not just stay, but does what is necessary to ensure we regain the glory of what we once were. Again, I repeat, Love is Sacrifice. Love is also loyalty. You can have the best husband or most intelligent wife, but of what good are they when they would easily leave you for someone else if the going got tough? There are over a billion lessons I learnt from this film and I advise you to go check out this epic tale from the ancient Kingdom of Benin on the stables of ROK TV.
GETTING OVER HIM: Heartbreaks are tough, aren’t they? But what is even tougher is getting over them. Matilda plays the character of Mimi in an outstanding manner. This film explores the tough realities of relationships in today’s world. In this world, finding that special one whom we can just be ourselves with is no mean feat and we are often devastated when they leave. However, since success is the best revenge, I believe the best way to get over hurt is to move on and make the most of your life.
TINSEL: There is no way I would write an article about Matilda and not mention this TV Series that has been running for over 15 years. It would be worse than an unforgivable crime, to be negligent of the most successful TV Series from Nigeria. Angela as played by Matilda Obaseki is an embodiment of exemplary acting. She radiates quality artistic performance only found in textbooks, coupled with decades of experience built over time. Matilda is a genius but she is subtle about it, which even highlights that there is more from the core of wherever she emits the radiance of her sparkling performances. Her dynamic and emotional range as an actor is quite impeccable. What I love the most about Tinsel is, “Wahala nor dey ever finish for this life”. Conflict is a part of life and that is the reason drama succeeds on screen when it is filled with a plethora of dilemmas, choices with significant consequences and an endless barrage of twists and turns. However, what determines whether we are successful in life is how we handle these troubles.
CONCLUSION: My love for the sparkling and sensational Matilda Obaseki is eternal and I believe her teeming fans worldwide feel the same way about her. I am sincerely proud – and a little bit envious too – of her and her exploits. But what I feel most profoundly is pride because her success is also my success. Her success is also the success of the Edo people worldwide. Matilda has persistently proven to be a distinguished ambassador of our culture as she keeps promoting EDO TO THE WORLD wherever she goes.
