I enjoyed "Last Touch" so much that I watched it twice. It's definitely Nollywood romance at its finest. The film introduces us to Tracee, portrayed by Yvonne Jegede, a successful businesswoman who has decided to use men for a specific purpose - to avoid getting hurt herself. The dreamy and romantic Tayo, played by Michael O. Ejoor, becomes her perfect foil. Tayo is a dissatisfied office drone living in a modest room behind Tracee's luxurious home. He's entirely beneath her notice until a chance encounter at a bar one night leads to Tayo saving Tracee from an overzealous admirer. This sparks Tracee's interest, and she invites Tayo for dinner, hoping to add him to her roster of standby men. However, Tayo doesn't take the bait, making Tracee even more intrigued. She pursues him until she wins him over. Tayo, who has witnessed Tracee's interactions with various men, makes it clear that he's only interested in a serious relationship. All seems well until an unexpected visitor knocks on Tracee's door, triggering Tayo's insecurities.
Yvonne Jegede's performance as Tracee is commendable. While Tracee initially used and discarded men, her transformation for Tayo's sake feels genuinely heartfelt. Tayo's trust issues are understandable to some extent, but that's no excuse for him to be unkind, especially considering how kind Tracee was to him after they started dating--even helping him to start a business. This movie provides a refreshing departure from the typical storyline where the heroine mistreats the hero throughout most of the film, and he falls for her regardless. The conflict here was more realistic.
I found Yvonne Jegede's portrayal of Tracee to be remarkably likable, which is a breath of fresh air, especially in the trope where a hard-hearted businesswoman falls for an average guy. Although Tayo mentions that Tracee was rude to him by not saying thank you or greeting him after he opened the gate for her, we never witness her being downright disrespectful or discourteous to him for no reason. Thank goodness.
There's also an intriguing subplot where Tayo gets even with his boss, who previously fired him. Tayo's cathartic moment, as he walks away singing "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen. Nobody knows the sorrow..." in a deep baritone, is an absolute gem. I rewound that part at least five times. "Last Touch" is undoubtedly deserving of a solid 6-star rating in my book!
