Ageshinkólé (King of thieves) is a hit in Nollywood (cinema industry of Nigeria), the seventh highest-grossing Nigerian film so far. It is a fantasy epic inspired in Yoruba mysticism, full of magic, portraying the menace the powerful bandit Ageshinkólé means to the king Oba Adegbite Tadenikaro. The ruler will need all the help he can to restist the enemy. What kind of magic will be enough? The fictional kingdom of Ajeromi is divided in different factions - hunters, wizards, witches, Shàngó oracles, the spiritual forces, and the heavenly beings called masqueraders -, each one worshipping a god-Orisha: Ogun, Shàngó... It had been stable for a long time, punishing violently and mercilessly with death penalty any stealing, but things changed dramatically as a seemingly undefeatable danger rose. Why did it happen? What may give it and end? For a foreigner, watching a big African production with native elements such as Ageshinkólé is interesting by itself - particularly for a spectator from Brazil, as those Yoruba elements also impacted deeply on Brazilian culture. I loved mostly the costumes, makeup and art direction. However, there are also some drawbacks, such as irregular acting (good moments alternate with quite unconvincing ones), a loose script, and a few cheesy edition choices. Despite those sins, it worth watching. Besides the amusing setting, the ending of the story is quite nice.
