THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU AN AFRICA MAGIC ORIGINAL
THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU
As Kenyans say ‘Mambo ni mengi, Masaa ndio machache.’
‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,’ as the saying goes. From the Title, this is a film that tells you even before you begin watching, that some hands are about to get bitten and of course such action come with consequences. The Hand That Feeds You, is an Africa Magic Feature directed by Gilbert Lukalia (Mission To Rescue) who takes us through the life of Simon, Robert Agengo(40 Sticks) who tries to rebuild his life after being released from prison. However pressure starts building when the law recruits him to help prosecute the very Syndicate that got him arrested in the first place.
Something that the film has done very quickly is to take us into Simon’s world. He lives in an informal settlement and struggles to make ends meet especially since nobody trusts him for the simple fact that he is an ex-con. The Detective that monitors his life outside, Inspector Ochieng, Allan Oyugi (Lost in Time) does not give him room to breathe as he does not believe Simon has the ability to let go of his old ways.
Simon is desperate to prove himself, not only to the law but also to his wife Brenda, Gloria Moraa (Tahidi High) and young son, Brian, Bradley Mwendwa. His honest hustle as a bodaboda rider is not enough to make his wife happy, his best friend, David, Eddy Mbugua (The Boy who Harnessed The Wind) with whom they have a very complicated relationship, shows up at the nick of time, presenting Simon with a faster way to make more, however, it’s illegal and that is exactly what landed him into prison in the first place. David is very convincing and on top of that he desperately needs money to at least earn his girl’s trust and respect once again. Caught between a rock and a hard place he has no choice but to give in to the temptation of his old ways and fast cash.
The law being on his neck, now wants Simon to out the entire group that he works with. Simons accepts but his only condition is that his best friend is kept out of it. Exactly how this switch from being the hunted to the hunter is not shown very clearly in the film and leaves me a bit confused. His best friend finds out and feels betrayed especially after cutting him out a deal of a job he got him. What David didn’t know is that Simon did it to protect him. The betrayal comes with a consequence.
As the movie comes to an end, Simon seems to have achieved none of the things he really wanted and we are left on a cliff hanger expecting more. As Kenyans say ‘Mambo ni mengi, Masaa ndio machache.’ I can’t wait for a promising part two and to see how the story pans out.
As we wait, something that greatly stands out in the film is the Music/scoring. Done by Lalela and Audio Networks, it is very authentic and goes very well with the moods of the film as they gradually change.
Generally, a very well executed story that you can watch on Africa Magic or stream on Showmax.
