There is no denying the poignant, uplifting message behind Destiny Ekaragha’s comedy Gone Too Far! as a film that certainly has a lot of heart behind it, but, regrettably, falls flat with a lacklustre screenplay. The way our characters question their own identity and culture and almost seem embarrassed by their roots makes for an intriguing narrative, but it’s one that simply hasn’t been executed well enough.
Malachi Kirby plays Yemi, a youngster who desperately wants to attract the attention of Armani (Shanika Warren-Markland), despite the fact she’s only leading him on to pettily get back at her ex-boyfriend Razer (Tosin Cole). Yemi’s chances take an even bigger blow when his estranged brother Iku (O.C. Ukeje) comes to London from Nigeria, and he’s left with the responsibility on showing him around the city, despite feeling ashamed of his native sensibilities. However their simple trip to the local shops to buy some okra soon turns in to a full on escapade, and one that leaves Yemi to question who he is really is, and where he’s come from.
Gone Too Far! has a lot to say about culture and identity, and deals with pertinent themes, taking place in Peckham, a distinctly multicultural area of London. Nonetheless, and though of course this is overstated for comedic purposes, it’s a film that is somewhat difficult to truly believe in, given the incredible amount of vitriol amongst our characters based purely on their race and ethnicities. That’s not to say this doesn’t exist in real life, but it seems immoderately exaggerated in this production.
Nonetheless, the premise bears much potential, taking something of a farcical approach as these two brothers merely leave home to run an errand for their mother and find something she could cook for tea, before a series of spontaneous antics ensue. The only problem with this concept, however, is that because this film is set over just a mere matter of hours, therefore not allowing much by way of character development, as they simply don’t have the time to change their values and outlook of life. Even if they do, it’s somewhat challenging to abide by.
There are some hilarious moments however and the occasional one-liner that is rather memorable, yet on the whole the comedy comes across as being rather hateful. There are many jokes at the expense of racial stereotypes, and though there is nothing wrong with having racist characters in films – they are reflecting people who share similar views in real life, after all – far too much of the comedy in this title derives from such jokes, and laughing at some of the untoward comments aimed at Africans, or Asians, for example, is an uncomfortable thing to do.
That said, it would be hypocritical to stick solely by this point of view, because South Park, for example, plays on stereotypes and pokes fun at people, and yet that’s absolutely hilarious. The problem with Gone Too Far! is that is simply isn’t very intelligent nor satirical in its approach and that’s why the jokes just seem a little offensive. In one instance, Yemi makes a remark to an Indian character about the dangers in giving someone of her race a rucksack, in case she’s a terrorist – and jokes like that are not offensive simply because of the subject matter, but because they’re not very funny. The comedy is just too lazy and simplistic at times. It also makes the characters somewhat difficult to like, as they all show such disdain for one another.
That, however, is not the case for Iku, who is an incredibly endearing creation. His character does display a lot of heart, and it’s through him where this film does excel, as despite all of the apprehensions from a comedy viewpoint, both Ekaragha and screenwriter Bola Agbaje must be commended for exploring an area otherwise untouched in British cinema, and coming to some heartwarming conclusions in the process.
