Movie Review: The Wedding Party
If I were a guy and The Wedding Party a babe, I’d probably say to it: “from the first day I saw you, I knew you were all I wanted. Though I didn’t see all of you, the glimpse I caught was enough to let me know you are different. And right there, I began to countdown the moments to when I’d finally get to meet you. I talked about you to my friends, your name came up several times in my plans. I was eager. And now that I have seen you, I know that my heart did not lie to me. You are different and all I wanted.” You know; something like that.
But now it is not a babe and I am not a guy, just a girl smitten by its beauty and all I just want to do is scream “haay Jesusss, such beauty!” You know, because as a good Christian girl I know Jesus should always get his cuts especially when good things and good moments happen.
The Wedding Party is arguably the best comedy movie out of Nollywood in 2016. It is an original representation of our collective experiences and sometimes thoughts about Nigerian family weddings, especially the very many dynamics that define each. Set in a day, the entire movie is one big owambe party you just want to attend. The sound tracks rightly silhouette the scenes and by the wedding reception scene proper, you are probably sold out to either of the families. Whichever it is, you are most likely to lose your very posh demeanor watching this movie, laughing loudly, screaming, cheering and commenting. It is indeed a very entertaining feel good movie. I think about The Wedding Party and I am reminded about the 2015 movie, Wedding Ringer featuring Kevin Hart, for nothing else but the pure laughter they both evoke and the emotions they leave the audience with.
I do not think that the makers of The Wedding Party intended it to be pedagogy in philosophy or some high sounding thesis on some important subject. So if you judge its profundity by that, you will clearly be missing the entire point of the story. It is clear they set out to create a truly entertaining movie and got the right cast to help them achieve that goal. This would have been just another movie, but for great actors who make an experience of the movie memorable with bouts of thigh-clapping hilarity and loud laughter. It is proof that the quality of cast can make or mar a movie.
Sola Shobowale returns from a hiatus to star as Mrs Tinuade Coker and mother of the bride, Adesua Etomi (Dunni). And by God, she is one hell of a riot in the movie. God!
Truth is, you never realise how much you have missed seeing her on screen till you see her in this movie. Though one would not expect less from Shola Shobowale but her performance here is just stellar and crisp like the picture quality of the entire movie. She was effortlessly in sync with her character and owned it till the last minute. I think about it now and I can’t picture anyone else pulling off the role like she did – packed with the right dose of humour. And did I mention that she is a superb dancer and her ilk is the life of every owambe? One scene you should totally look forward to is her dancing scene. There is nothing like it. Ah, Shola Shobowale is a troublemaker and she knows just how to spite the next woman with great dancing. Paired with Alibaba Akporobome, the popular comedian who stars in the movie as Bamidele Coker, father to the bride, the duo are the typical Yoruba parents.
Richard Mofe Damijo as Felix Onwuka the father to the groom decked in his isiagu- the Igbo native chieftaincy fabric and white beards, gives a measured delivery of his character. Plus, you will admire his character’s creativity; I mean who would have thought of naming their side chick “Small Chops?” Iretiola Doyle (Obianuju Onwuka; mother of the groom and wife to Chief Onwuka) is the quintessential high society wife – warts and all. I liked her deliberate approach to her character. I liked the rivalry of her character with Mrs Coker. It is a major fuel that propels the plot development. Zainab Balogun as Wonu the event planner is another interesting character to look out for in the movie.
The Wedding Party has some interesting debuts like Banky W starring as Dozie and Ikechukwu (the rapper) as Sola, the best man, in addition to Enyinna Nwigwe (Nonso Onwuka), Somkele Iyamah (Yemisi) and Daniella Down (Deadre Winston).
The movie no doubt had points of low plausibility. An example is Dunni running off to Bar Beach after the shocking discovery of her husband’s escapades during the course of his bachelor’s eve party. In Lagos, Nigeria, we don’t run off to the beach when we are heartbroken, especially at night! If you do, you’d probably get robbed. That’s a straight copy and paste scene from a Hollywood movie. Sambasa Nzeribe’s role no doubt was important to the thematic development of the movie but you see, the story of a youth resorting to robbery despite good education and thereafter attacking the wealthy is now as tired and cliché as the word. Plus, that is not likely the story of the average Nigerian youth today. Also, the scene was not properly tied together especially the point where they barge in on Sambasa’s character.
That said I take it upon myself to say that your holiday season is not properly spended if you do not see this movie. Crisp picture quality, great sound, good locations, great cast, and an original subject matter among others, The Wedding Party does truly speak to the quality we hope for our Nollywood movies.