Generally acclaimed movies of 2014

The Nigerian movie industry improved drastically this year, with many world-class productions to show for it. With captivating storylines and presentations different from what the audience is used to. Doyin Adeoye chronicles some movies that went beyond the imagination of many movie lovers in 2014.
Half of a Yellow Sun
Not just in Nigeria, ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ is one of the most acclaimed films from Africa in 2014. Based on the story of a couple in the newly independent Nigeria and the effect of the Nigerian Civil War of the late 1960s on the family, the film is an adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel of the same title.
With world-wide rave reviews and critical acclaim, the N1.27 billion ($8m) budgeted movie was directed by Biyi Bandele. First shown across cinemas in Nigeria on August 1, the movie featured both Nollywood and Hollywood actors which included Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Boyega, Genevieve Nnaji, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Joseph Mawle, Kasper Michaels, Onyeka Onwenu, Paul Hampshire and Thandie Newton, among others.

October 1
Award-winning film maker, Kunle Afolayan,  has gradually evolved into a world class producer many Nigerians are proud of. From his first movie, ‘Figurine,’ to the recent one October 1,’ it is obvious that Kunle is one that would uphold the standard he had set.
Based on the story of a Northern Nigerian police detective who was dispatched by the Colonial Government to the trading post town of Akote in the Western Region of Nigeria to solve a series of female murders that have struck horror in the hearts and minds of the local community, the film was set in the 1960s, and was well received by many.
Engulfing a whooping N330 million (US$2 mllion) budget, the movie saw the return of thespians like Sadiq Daba, Kayode Olaiya and Kanayo O. Kanayo to the movie scene. Others featured in the movie include David Bailie, Kehinde Bankole, Fabian Adeoye Lojede, Nick Rhys, Kunle Afolayan, Femi Adebayo,  Manuel, Ibrahim Chatta, Demola Adedoyin and Deola Sagoe.
Dazzling Mirage
Released on November 7, Tunde Kelani’s Dazzling Mirage was adapted from Olayinka Abimbola’s book of the same name. The story was Kelani’s way of contributing towards public’s awareness of genotype-related issues like Sickle-Cell Anaemia. According to him, all of us are connected directly or indirectly to the sufferers of this ailment. “I have also had personal relationships with sufferers of this ailment and I consider it my responsibility to bring their story to fore,” he once said.
Featuring Kemi ‘Lala’ Akindoju, Kunle Afolayan, Seun Akindele, Bimbo Manuel and Yomi Fash Lanso, Tunde Kelani through the movie proved once again that he understands the concept of filmmaking.
Lucy
What if you could access more than 20 per cent of your cerebral capacity? What would be the effect, how would you react? Lucy is a 2014 English-language French science fiction action film that answers these questions.
Shot in Taipei, Paris, and New York City, the movie stars the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Amr Waked and Choi Min-sik. Johansson portrays the character of a woman who gains psychokinetic abilities from a nootropic drug being absorbed into her bloodstream.
Released on July 25, it immediately became a box office success, grossing over $458 million against a budget of $40 million.
The Hunger Games: Mokingjay
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is a 2014 American science fiction war film. A sequel to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, it will be followed by the concluding entry, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2. Written by Suzanne Collins and produced by Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik, the film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland.
With a budget of $125 million, the movie raked in from the box office a whopping $639.7 million.
The Antique
Released on October 19, the Antique is a fictional story, inspired by events of the Southern Nigeria people in the 19th Century.
Starring the likes of Olu Jacobs, Bimbo Akintola, Ricardo Agbor, Funso Adeolu, Kiki Omeili and Gabriel Afolayan, among many other talented actors, the movie tells a tale of Godo Kingdom, where an innocent girl must journey to a land where mortals are forbidden, in search of an antique.
Written and Produced by Darasen Richards, the movie shows the beauty of the African traditions.