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Popular actor Malik Yoba, like any other red-blooded human, has had to make some tough decisions in his life. Yoba having that everyday experience contributed in him taking the part of Staff Sergeant Hart in the new military drama “Allegiance.” The film, written and directed by newcomer Michael Connors, is a serious drama where the character’s are forced to prove where their loyalties lie–to their country or their families.

Bow Wow plays a medic in the army and he is the best one his company has. However, his son sick deathly ill and his request for a leave of absence gets denied. Bow Wow’s character, Reyes, decides to go AWOL. Reyes’ personal decision has an effect on all of the men around him, including his commanding officer Staff Sergeant Hart, played by Yoba.

We got a chance to talk to Malik Yoba about the film. During our conversation, we got him to give us his sales pitch as to why viewers should spend their money watching “Allegiance.”

1. One man’s decision causes trouble for the whole squad.

As much as the film deals with a specific situation, on a larger scale, “Allegiance” has a lot to do with the repercussions others must face when we make a decision for ourselves. “Bow Wow’s character, Reyes, goes AWOL and SFC Hart is technically responsible for one of his men going AWOL. Bow Wow is the center of the film and he must make the hard decision  between family and country. Everyone else must deal with the consequences once he chooses family over the military.” Malik explained.

2. Staff Sergeant Hart is a tough guy with a heart.

Although SFC Hart knows he is responsible for one of his men going AWOL, he understands Reyes’ decision. “Hart’s torn and I think that goes for all of the people in the film. Do you choose to see about the well-being of your own family or of your country which you signed up to serve?” Yoba questioned. In the film, plenty of military men who are normally very stoic lose their cool and deal with the effects of one of their own making a decision for themselves and not the whole squad.

3. After watching “Allegiance,” you still won’t be able to decide what exactly you should do in that situation.

When we posed the ‘what would you do’ question to Malik Yoba, he couldn’t give a definitive answer. While he understands the responsibility a serviceman takes on when they join the military, Malik wasn’t sure if the needs of his children could take a backseat to his military duties.  “I don’t know, man. I love my kids and it’s hard enough traveling, sometimes, more than half of the year, and I’m away from my children. Luckily, it’s not always at one time. I might have to go for three months this time or 2 weeks the next time. I think most people love their families and would want to be with them. You have to recognize that you have to make sacrifices. But choosing between going to war versus being with my sick kid–that’s a hard one.”

Make sure you go support the independent film “Allegiance” when it opens in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas on January 4th. The film premiered in New York City during the holiday season. If you can’t make it out to the theaters, you can cop the movie on DVD when it is delivered to stores on January 15th.

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