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Banky W’s ‘Mercy’ Is a good first

‘Mercy’, for all its credits and learning, stands out as what it is. A first attempt.

I am delighted by the new chapter embarked upon by Banky W. After rising to the pinnacle of Nigerian entertainment, while building a viable record label, the EME boss last September made the journey to New York Film Academy to earn his film-making badges.

Now he has gone public with the first of his films, and it is quite special. Banky W threw in his singing ability and his expertise to create a ‘music film’ called ‘Mercy’.

Mercy is a visual showing the interplay of negativity in the lives of 3 people, and the ‘necessary’ wrong choices they made to weather the storm. These choices ultimately link them all in a web of remorse.

Lola, a young struggling lady, with drug addiction issues, whose need for house-rent payment funds pushed her into prostitution. Her client was Steve, a man with marital problems who was pushed to seek comfort in the arms of Lola.

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Next came a robber who attacked Steve and extorted funds for purchase of life-saving medication for his ill young sibling.

In-between narratives, Banky W offers us interjecting scenes of himself, supplying the musical to the visual. Everything ends in a church, where all defaulting remorseful characters coincidentally find themselves in church seeking forgiveness from a higher being.

In his directional debut, Banky W needed to make a statement of intent, and one could begin to think up a number of stunning ways in which he could an entrance. Class, quality, imagery, effect, and all the fine words that come with a good project delivery.

For Banky W, he picked the song ‘Mercy’, perfect. Then he made the visuals.

Scripting of the video had a fine engaging twist, with the cast playing their roles to bring it alive. But it did smack of a slightly clichéd ending. Throwing a web to link all the characters with sin was admirable, and the final church scene cemented the connection.

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A touch of realism was in play here. With everything crafted to tell the lives of ordinary people, Banky W kept it real here to his credit. His styling was flawless, and his location makes the audience connect on a personal level.

What really wasn’t a credit to the production came in post-production. The final cut of the film had too much activity. Everything seems all thrown together and sewn hastily to poor effect. People get drawn into the mix, they choke and get lost in the multiple scenes, and until the music becomes a blur. You even get immune to Banky W’s voice.

On evidence of this, one can’t truly give a judgement on the quality of Banky W’s skills as a video director, but one can get an insight into his state of mind. He is hardworking, and eager to get dry behind his ears. Banky W has put in good work here. His potential is evident, and one gets a feeling he will surely get better.

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