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I did not sit down to watch Shirley Frimpong Manso�s much talked about movie - Devil in the Detail, expecting that it will be great. We all agree that there wasn�t even that minuscule probability that the movie was going to be short of her consistent outstanding delivery. I knew it was going to be an improvement on the previous production, Potomanto, since this has become conventional of the multiple-award winning director. When you think she has hit the glass ceiling, she surprises you and come flying through. Therefore, my total mindset was to find those things that will make me not like the movie and to be frank, the fact that I watched the movie twice is an indication that I failed. The reason I sat down hoping to spot those things which will shake my conviction in the Shirley Frimpong Manso and Ken Attoh�s combined excellence is that, as a writer/critic it is easier to point out weaknesses than strengths�so I was looking for the easiest way out. But I got served� Storyline Thinking about the many over recycled romantic thriller and drama storylines, Devil in the Detail points to the fact that, there is no justification whatsoever for the many closely related and refurnished stories African movies dwell on as a result of writers inability to be creative with ideas. The writers�Ken Attoh and Shirley Frimpong-Manso � must have put a lot of thinking into the story, depicting a close but reverse connection between how women and men deal with relationships�especially when these relationships are extra marital. Instead of sticking to the traditional African movie theme of splashing the marginal error of judgement on mostly the men, the writers successfully cast a stone at the man-Adjetey Anang and the woman-Nse Ikpe Etim to find out their hidden weaknesses. Even though both were haunted and pushed to the corner with their affairs, there were several of those poignant moments you get swayed to feel one of the couple was being �diabolically� unfair. Don�t take sides because things are never what they seem. Sex Scenes Since the movie opens with what I will describe as a detailed but decent sex scene, I cannot fail to mention the different layers and venues of sex that helped in telling the story. From the conventional bed setting to the hot office table �quickies�, the movie pushed its boundaries with the romance but because these scenes were perfectly done�devoid of any tackiness, they do not become subject of attention but simply complement the story. Suspense If you are going to predict anything in the movie, make sure you do not put money on it else by the end of the movie, you would be bankrupt, and even in debt, I guarantee that. There are countless and interesting twists and turns in the movie. Usually, in most African movies, twists and turns are synonymous with unnecessary drama. Devil in the Detail employs what I will prefer to call �shocking but not overly dramatic exploration of the consistent flow of a common relationship dilemma�. Even with Adjetey Anang�s sort of contradictory personality, where he convincingly portrays how much he loves his wife and at the other edge, hitting the face of another woman, the drama was kept under control so as not to distract the storyline and those things that make the movie a must watch. I cannot forget the role reverse between Adjetey Anang and Nse Ikpe Etim�-and even Ama Ampofo. No condition is really permanent indeed. You may be doing the chasing today and by tomorrow, you would be the one being chased. The Acting If Adjetey Anang had enough cash in his account, I would have asked him to retire. He would have left the industry on a classy note. His acting in this movie is the best I have seen of any male Ghanaian actor and if you doubt me, then you have not watched the movie yet. Why does it take long for the best to surface? Nse Ikpe Etim is the most underrated �African� actress and I wish the reason this is so will be able to rival the �gross talent suppression� and lack of befitting merit. Her acting was adorable and so real�even the most uncomfortable and �difficult� scene such as a �real in bed� action, she �nailed� it perfectly. Not only were her facial expressions in consonance with what was expected of a person in that mood, her body language flawlessly portrayed what was happening. New Faces Unlike most African film-makers who do not have strong storylines and set of skills and as such rely on known faces to sell their movies, Ken Attoh and Shirley Frimpong Manso once again took the high risk. Ama Ampofo was on point. Her facial expressions were convincing, defiling the notion of African make-believe. She made the circumstances portrayed seem as real as they could possibly be. At one point, I thought I was spying on someone�s real life experiences. Mawuli Gavor was not bad either and even with his limited appearance, you cannot forget his character. But what I did not like about his acting is the accent. Let me state that, I am not sure (and the movie did not make it clear) if he was supposed to be playing a role of someone from the West. If he was supposed to do so, then I think I can let him off�. Many Flashbacks The movie has many flashbacks but then to tell such an interrelated story with those high level of twists and turns while making an attempt not to drag scenes (and not to confuse the viewers), there was no other way around things except by use of flashbacks. If it was a book, this could have been done by using a self-commentary but since this was a movie, the many flashbacks were necessary. Accurately, the flashbacks were distinguished from the flowing story by the use of black and white�-while the flow of the story was in full colour. Production Quality From the luxurious settings to the actual quality of sound and visual, once again Ken Attoh lived up to expectation as the creative director and the head of art direction. Sparrow Productions has never compromised on visual and sound production; rather we see an improvement with each new production. The Ending Could there be a Part 2? Once again, Devil in the Detail alienates itself from the cluster of African movies with the way it ends, leaving viewers to continue telling the story in their minds. How on earth can a story full of suspense solve all the suspense but at the dying minute, creates the most intense of all the trepidation?