By Edd.
Before I start jabbering about this movie, I will rise from my seat, tip my hat, and incessantly clap my hands applauding the smart brains behind this rare gem, a blockbuster.
When he debuted with “Kiwani” in 2007, self-accredited movie critics and the ever judgmental Ugandans might have called him a proverbial one-hit-wonder, but Henry H. Ssali rose from the ashes, gathering his gab and unbridled talent and proved them wrong. Kiwani, if you ask me, was a success; it opened doors for Juliana Kanyomozi and the awesome Flavia Tumusiime to the movie world. Whereas Flavia has since shrunk in darkness, Juliana, however baby-steps, is doing quite fine and if you stick to this piece a little longer, you will know what I am talking about.
This is not about Kiwani. This is about The Bullion. There has been a buzz and social media was literally being choked by a barrage of words about this movie. FOMO was slowly and arrogantly raising its dreadful head in us. As its premiere drew closer, hell broke loose. I, personally, couldn’t wait to set my eyes on the movie by virtue of the fact that it was a star-studded ensemble and the whistles about it made it worse for me.
It was premiered on Saturday with a glamorous event at Speke Resort, Munyonyo. The crowd, teeming of predominantly indigenous actors and hungry journalists, showed their presence there.
The movie starts lazily with somewhat familiar scenes. It was shot in Uganda, Kampala mainly. As it progresses slowly, the story starts to mold up, to take shape. It becomes catchy and more interesting. Batting an eyelid was the last thing on my mind.
The Bullion tells a fascinating story about a young man (Allan Tumusiime) who was earlier grassing on the streets, grappling with mid-life crisis and a wife (Veronica Tindi) with a kid. A kid whose health was on a downward spiral, deteriorating day-by-day and needed a heart surgery. He needed money to take her for surgery, but getting the money proved futile. As luck would have it, he got a job as a bullion van driver for a bank where two friends (Ainea Ojiambo and Michael Wawuyo Sr) worked. The friends, too, were grappling with their lives; they were hard up and literally lived their lives on the edge. These friends decided to draft a heist plan. Perhaps they had watched Italian Job, Takers and Oceans and those movies that involve bank robberies and shooting guns and all. The plan was executed. But still, they had to plan very well to pull off the sensitive deal. Amidst their plans, they found themselves needing the services of the bullion van driver. They found themselves between a hard rock and a hard place. They had to get other expatriates on board; people that worked within circles of the bank; the broke askaris who, at the mention of the millions they would take back home, instantaneously nodded their heads willingly to dare.
The plan was flawless and highly executed, professionally too. But it later turned ugly and gruesome. Chief gang leader had tilted in his skin and turned against his peers, killing them in cold blood. The survivor, the Bullion driver, found himself in jail, charged with robbery where he had to serve a lengthy tenure. Thereafter, the movie became so unpredictable and sailed through in dark waters which made it so interesting and eye-gripping. It was a wrap.
The movie was penned by Billy Ashaba, writer of SRB, and directed by theatre extraordinaire Phillip Luswata. The Bullion will, on its shoulders, carry Uganda and put it on another level. With all the props and nods and thumbs up it has garnered even when its first uncut version was unveiled to the public, it is bound to climb up to more astronomical heights. The acting was superb; perhaps it is due to the fact that Henry Ssali was so picky and threw in more experienced and notable actors from the theatre and movie arena in Uganda.
The movie casts: Allan Tumusiime (Kiwani), Ainea Ojiambo (Makutano Junction), Veronica Tindi, Juliana Kanyomozi, Michael Wawuyo Snr, Michael Wawuyo Jnr, Ann Kansiime, Richard Tuwangye, Gerald Rutaro, Dickson Zizinga, Laura Kahunde and many more.
Go and watch it. You will thank me for the idea.