The actress brings a sweet mischievousness to the role

Directed by Abdulazeez Dan Small Kamal S Alkali

Starring: Yakubu Mohammed, Fatima Mohammed, Jamila Nagudu, Fati Washa

Year: 2014
Duration: 110 minutes

Shu’uma is about a woman determined to get what she wants. She flirts with men, marries them, gets their money, and then divorces them.  She has been married several times when she meets a happily married man (Yakubu Mohammed) who falls in love with her.

Meanwhile, Shu’uma, role played by Fatima Mohammed, is dating a local tout, Kumurci, played by Shuaibu Lawal who she has promised to marry. Things get to a head when Kumurci finds out Shu’uma is two-timing him.

The storyline is an interesting if clichéd one. However, there is a disconnect between the appearance of the actress and the character she is portraying. The audience is supposed to believe that Shu’uma is a “big girl” but the wardrobe people failed here, as the clothes Fatima wears do nothing to aid that perception.

It would have been better if the screenplay had accommodated scenes where the audience gets to see how long Shu’uma and Kumurci have been together. The relationship is sort of dropped in our laps without any preambles and in the middle of the movie after she had been with other men. The problem may have been the lack of chemistry between the actors but one fails to see how these two could have been in a long loving relationship with the way they carried on around each other.

However, with her acting in this movie, one can understand why Fatima Mohammed, who is a fairly new actress, is fast becoming a hot cake. She brings a sweet mischievousness to the character of Shu’uma. Apart from her lack of chemistry with Shu’aibu, she was always a refreshing sight to see on screen.

In general, Shu’uma was a good movie; the picture and sound quality was great, acting – not so great; directing could have been better but it’s still worth a watch.