This predictable tale of love overcoming prejudice and good overcoming evil was disappointing. The acting was weak at best and, in some cases, downright bad. Kymani Marley appeared as one of the better actors, seeming less stilted, more comfortable in his role and in front of the camera. Cherine, as Serena, despite her unbelievably beautiful voice, was surprisingly disappointing, as one would expect some improvement since her earlier exposure as a teenager in Dance Hall Queen. Seasoned actors Idris Elba and Vas Blackwood appeared more natural than the rest of the cast as did Christopher Daley, albeit in a dud role.
Overall, the language in the film came across as stilted. It seems that in an effort to 'water down' the Jamaican dialect, people ended up sounding unnatural. Yet this has been done successfully in other films. Better direction might have led to people seeming and sounding more real, but in several instances, the language did not come across as what a Jamaican would typically say in the situation.
Some scenes could easily have been deleted without any loss to the overall story and their inclusion begs the question. Others scenes that were important to the storyline were just unconvincing in their execution.
Overall, the language in the film came across as stilted. It seems that in an effort to 'water down' the Jamaican dialect, people ended up sounding unnatural. Yet this has been done successfully in other films. Better direction might have led to people seeming and sounding more real, but in several instances, the language did not come across as what a Jamaican would typically say in the situation.
Some scenes could easily have been deleted without any loss to the overall story and their inclusion begs the question. Others scenes that were important to the storyline were just unconvincing in their execution.