THE WEDDING PARTY REVIEWED
April 05, 2017

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Title: The Wedding Party
Producer: Don Omope, Ijeoma Agukoronye
Director: Kemi Adetiba
Screenplay: Tosin Otudeko
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Key Casts: Sola Sobowale, Iretola Doyle, Richard Mofe Damijo, Alibaba Akporobome, Adesua Etomi, Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama, Daniella Down, Banky Wellington, Zainab Balogun Ayo Makun (YA), Beverly Naya, etc
Date of Release: December, 2016.
Reviewer: Desmond Okon

If you’re looking for a movie that teaches on the intricacies of planning a wedding, The Wedding Party, TWP, is your best bet. The movie examines the features of a Nigerian wedding with a blend of comedy. The glitz, glam, the boisterousness, the colour, and drama typical of weddings in our clime all in a bid to make a statement; are all seamlessly presented in a natural and fantastic way for the enjoyment of viewers.


Weddings, in as much as are happy moments aren’t devoid of their own kinks, and anxiety and pressure capable of calling tears, especially when the families are not best of friends. The scriptwriter, Tosin Otudeko, shrewdly captures these issues.

The movie tells of all the laughable (and serious) occurrences that accompany the rush of planning weddings.

TWP has a simple and chronological plot. It’s a narrative of the wedding between Dunni, a 24 year old art gallery owner, and only daughter of Mr and Mrs Coker; and Dozie, IT entrepreneur and the second son of Mr and Mrs Onwuka. Both families are affluent, (two elephants in their respective industries with fat wallets). The couple took a vow of chastity and are expecting to make their first night golden.

Set in Lagos, the movie begins with an okada-man (a motorcyclist) carrying the wedding posters and transits between a pernickety and pedantic event planner, Wonu (Zainab Balogun), who is bent on making an impression. From thence, the viewers are taken through other events happening simultaneously from both families that culminates to the wedding party.
The flow of the movie climaxes soon after the pronouncement of the couple as husband and wife, when Dozie’s past comes haunting and threatening his fresh union as Dunni finds a thong (G-string) in his pocket on their way to the reception.

From Obianuju’s wish for a bomb to ruin his son’s wedding, the joshing of the groom’s friends, the cozy and friendly atmosphere laced with “girls’ talk” created around Dunni by her friends; the chaotic rupturing of the wedding gown few minutes before the church service; Obianuju’s hatred for her soon-to-be daughter in-law, the aso-ebi, the food –both local and continental’; the uninvited guests; the unscrupulous ‘village guests’; the controversial pastor who invites fire and death to the reception; to the thieve that robs almost everyone without being spotted, will Dunni and Dozie’s love conquer all things? Only patience will tell.

Though a great movie, there are a few things this reviewer is not at rest with. The subtitle is illegible due to poor colour contrast –the yellow text doesn’t contrast well with the entire background all through the movie.  The Efik tribe dancers at the reception is unnecessary. The diverse tribes or cultures (the Igbo, Yoruba tribes and even the foreign figure) already presented from the opening carried the message, as such, the introduction of the Efik tribe makes the film too ‘culturally’ crammed. More so, none of the families has an Efik lineage/origin, although it highlights the misconception that South-South and South-East are the same.

This movie is great. While the aim is to expose the hassles of planning a wedding, the movie also themes around family, friendship, culture, and encourages intertribal marriages. The family of Dunni stood by her. Despite their differences with their soon-to-be in-laws, they gave her all the support she needs recognising that it’s about her happiness, not theirs, although the mother went slightly overboard by changing D