Movie Review: ‘Wedding in Nigeria’, another disappointing rom-com

Movie Title: Wedding in Nigeria

Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes +

Director: Godwin Obiora Onwuneme

Release date: 7 October 2022

Cast: Zubby Micheal, Segun Arinze, Priscilla Okpala, Patience Ozokwor, Sani Danja, Don Brymo Uchegbu

The year was 2016 when Nollywood saw the emergence of ‘The Wedding Party’. This movie captured the hearts of millions, both at home and abroad, and broke the box office record by being the first highest-grossing movie to earn over four hundred million naira.

Fast forward to 7 October, ‘Wedding in Nigeria’, a film, was released with a similar storyline, hoping to gain the same traction the ‘Wedding Party’ did. Unfortunately, the film falls short of everything it needs to be a blockbuster.

The romantic comedy film is what one can easily describe as what happens when there is zero effort in a screenplay, poor casting choices, and, most importantly, a retelling of cliched Nollywood plots. The film is easily forgettable and seems like something that should show on African magic or DVDs, not in a cinema.

However, while pushing aside its shortcomings, ‘Wedding in Nigeria’ tells a strong theme of the importance of tribal diversity and unity.

Taking a familiar storyline from Old Nollywood movies, Wedding in Nigeria tells the story of a couple whose union faces discrimination from their families due to their tribal differences. In addition to this, they also have to deal with the secrets hidden in their respective pasts.

Without wasting much time, let’s dive straight into the proper review. Unlike other Nollywood movies, the only thing Wedding in Nigeria got right was the choice to explore a tribal theme, passing the message that though we come from different backgrounds, we are all unified by one common goal; being human.

Patience Ozokwor managed to shine through and deserves commendation for her role in the movie, despite being given a lifeless script and an overused storyline. MC Lively is another notable mention; though, at some point, his comic relief became unbearable and straight-up forced.

Flops

Let’s talk about the bad. Where do we even begin? The cinematography was unprofessional, considering how well production companies have evolved in Nigeria. The lighting and colour grading felt off, making the film seem like something shot on an Android phone. And don’t even get us started on the locations.

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Another sore patch in the film is the costumes. Yes, you read it right. Costumes are the easiest part of a film, but ‘Wedding in Nigeria’ manages to mess it up. A good example would be the bald wig cap worn by the actor who plays the bride’s father. They paid little attention to getting the characters’ costumes right. Additionally, the outfits worn at the wedding scene were traumatising as they looked more like a “housewarming party” than an actual wedding.

Unbelievable acting performances were a massive miss as some actors forgot their lines, which had them stuttering. The cast’s acting performance would be a 3.5/10. Also, can someone explain the need for the police officers’ characters and why one of them had an accent that, despite several attempts to be funny, still sounded very annoying?

Finally, the sound and scripting were terrible. Bland dialogues in Nollywood movies are not new, but this film takes it to a different level. While writing a script isn’t the easiest thing in the world, screenwriters should take the time to produce a work they are proud of. The sound is also mediocre, and the background music makes it worse.

Final Verdict

Honestly, Wedding in Nigeria sets Nollywood cinematic years back, which is unexpected, considering its lineup of talented local and international actors. Although we rate this movie a 4/10, it does not take away the fact that there are some moral lessons to be learned.

‘Wedding in Nigeria’ is now showing at cinemas.