CAMERA WORK:
EDITING:
The most noticeable element about the film work in Shuga has to be the editing. Since the film is set in urban Nairobi, a very fast paced environment, the editing is a reflection of that; its quick, energetic and very kinetic. There are instances in the film where the camera’s inability to stay still prevents the audience from becoming invested in the characters, the scenes and the geography. However, this is a deliberate act that seeks to highlight the fast pace of the Nairobi Lifestyle.
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
The look of the film is the product of effective lighting and photography, which differentiates it from other local programs. The colors are vibrant and sleek. The lighting plays with shadows and as a result, the physical dimension of the scene and characters is given a certain depth and undefined characteristic that speaks for itself; in other words, the scenes and the characters are not physically flat. Instead, the audience is able to draw meaning or a story out of them without the involvement of dialogue.
THE ACTING:
The film has a wide array of young characters that represent your typical group of youngsters. Ayira, the ambitious young lady who will stop at nothing to achieve her dreams is played by Lupita Nyongo. Skola, played by David Omwange, is a rich and charismatic young DJ who indulges in promiscuous activity on a constant basis with absolutely no regrets. These two performances are by far the best in the film, with Lupita taking the lead. She does an excellent job of portraying the internal conflict between two different worlds that she truly wants to be a part of, but must only choose one. David Omwange plays one character in the beginning of the film, and another by its conclusion. He executes a believable transition mid-film and maintains the right amount of energy for each stage of his performance. Violet, played by Sharon----------, is a carefree playgirl who uses her sexuality as her means of achievement. Sharon exudes a level of sexuality/sensuality that does the character justice. Her voice is soothing to the ear while her sophisticated demeanor and elegant stature all combine to bring about the sexual force of nature that is violet. Kennedy, played by Anthony Mwangi, serves as the comic relief of Shuga. Anthony has an uncanny sense of comic timing as well as a tongue for slang which enable Kennedy to become the most likable character of the program. Kennedy’s humor undercut the seriousness of the subject matter at some points, which makes the weight of the issues at hand more bearable with the help of some laughs. The latter two performances are second best. Ty, played by Pepe Haze, is a reasonably suave young man who takes life seriously without stressing himself out. Cindy, played by Valerie kimani, is a young lady who, like Ty, takes life seriously with an ounce of fun. Despite not having much screentime or in depth character development, both actors do a very fine job of bringing their supportive roles to life. Both would have been excellent had they been given more treatment in the script. They are the third best performances but could easily have been part of second best. Leo, played by Nicholas Mutuma, is a naïve choirboy while Virginia, played by Eva--------------, is a shy girl with a secret. Both actors are given very interesting characters but fail to deliver due to their limited performances/talent. Despite being attractive individuals, both actors are bland and not interesting in the least. Despite one or two highlights in their performances, they fail to bring out the potential of their characters and comfortably resort to being eye candy.
CULTURAL IMPACT:
The age old message about HIV and AIDS has been recycled and reused many times. We have been bombarded with information concerning the epidemic in old fashioned classroom manner however; Shuga achieves the intended communication of such messages by creating circumstances, environments and characters that the youth can identify with. It refuses to “Shuga” coat the content and paints an accurate picture of the reality that is the youth lifestyle. It does not insult its audience by hiding things from them, but forms a bond with them through relatable age mates hence gaining their appraisal and respect. In addition, Shuga’s picture quality is far above every local production ever developed in Kenya. All these elements combined make Shuga the most talked about Kenyan program in recent decades despite the show’s lack of innovation.
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