Review: "Dinner at my place" thrives on simple storytelling

“Dinner at my Place” movie review

Review based on:
☆Plot
☆Cast
☆Direction

Plot
“Dinner at my place” movie has a very simple plot, but this does not water down the effect of the movie. It revolves around a simple string of events. Nonso wants to propose to his girlfriend- Chioma.

He enlists his friends’ help to plan the proposal party. He also doesn’t want his girlfriend to know anything about the proposal as it is meant to be a surprise.

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As they prepare Nonso’s house for the proposal, his friends help him go over the plan and his speech.

However, as the doorbell rings, Nonso hesitates and drops the ring into the egusi soup he prepared for his soon to be fiancee. He begins to look for it, but upon his girlfriend’s incessant ringing of the doorbell, he rushes to open the door for her.

Unfortunately, on the night of the proposal- the Dinner date at Nonso’s house, his ex-girlfriend- Bisi shows up coincidentally, saying she needs a place for the night.

Nonso and his soon to be fiancee deliberate on taking her in. Nonso would not have it, seeing that it would only impede his romantic proposal plans.

However, his fiancee says it’s no problem; that his ex-girlfriend can crash on the couch.

Meanwhile, Nonso’s friends are hiding in the second bedroom so they can come out and shout “Surprise” when Nonso proposes to his girlfriend.

Alarmed, Nonso rushes to tell them of the latest development while leaving his girlfriend and ex-girlfriend together in ghe sitting room.

dinner at my place movie review

Bisi- Nonso’s ex-girlfriend accuses Chioma of snatching her ex-boyfriend. Bisi settles down to eat the couple’s Dinner.

It’s pounded yam and egusi soup. She eats it with relish, licking her fingers as Chioma watches in disgust.

Bisi swallows something as she eats. Nonso’s greatest guess is that it’s the ring inside the egusi soup.

He takes her into the kitchen to tell her that she cannot leave, that she has swallowed his engagement ring, and that the ring is of sentimental value to him because his late mother gave him the ring.

As she tries to escape, Nonso drags her in. Chioma is fed up by the whole act and proceeds to leave.

Nonso runs after her and they sit in her car. He confesses that he wants to marry her, and she says “Yes“. She asks for the ring, and Nonso confesses that it’s in Bisi’s stomach.

Chrome pesters him to get another one, but Nonso explains that the ring is worth $22,000 and that it belonged to his late mother. They lock Chioma in and send Nonso’s friends to get laxatives.

They force Chioma to take the laxatives and she goes into the toilet to purge.

Disgusted, Nonso looks for the ring inside Bisi’s shit. It’s not there, and he says she won’t leave until he purges it out. Bisi feels like a prisoner as they show her the room she would be staying.

As the others sleep, Bisi finds the key in Nonso’s suit and escapes. She gets an uber but is so tensed about using the toilet.
She rushes into the hotel, purges, but still can’t find the ring.

However, she leaves the water on and the toilet sink gets full with water. She goes in to check the following morning and slips in the toilet, spraining her ankle.

The hotelier calls for ambulance and she is rushed to the hospital. At the hospital, she asks the doctor to carry out an X-ray on her, saying she mistakenly swallowed her engagement ring.

However, after the x-ray is carried out, they relaize it’s a bone she swallowed, not the ring. Bisi is devastated, because she already borrowed some money from her friend.

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The following morning, Nonso scolds his friend for not being aware of Bisi’s escape. However, as Chioma washes the egusi pot, she finds the ring and screams. Everyone is so enjoyed.

Meanwhile, Bisi is not done with them. She and her friend wear masks, take toy guns and move on to rob Chioma of the ring.

As the “robbery” gets intense, Chioma recognises Bisi, and Bisi mistakenly fires the toy gun, the duo beat the thieves up and Bisi does not succeed in stealing stealing ring.

Dinner at my place storytelling style is devoid of the need to complicate the plot and try to overimpress the audience.

The fun is in its simplicity, and although there should have been more plot exploration of the punishment Bisi deserves, the storyline satisfies the readers. Thumbs up to Apaa for the screenwriting

Characters
The cast of Dinner at my place movie deliver to the upmost. The casting is on point, and the movie is further exalted because the cast complement each other. They have a good onscreen relationship and this exalts believability.

Flaws
The only flaw with “Dinner at my place movie” is that it fails to address what happens to Bisi apart from the debt she owes. We know she commits a criminal offence by trying to rob Chioma.

But perhaps the writer’s intention to rule out all forms of sad ending is what makes the movie a complete romantic comedy. Apart from this, the casting, direction and storytelling is on point!

■Plot/storytelling: 1.5/2
■Direction: 1.6/2
■Screenwriting: 1.7/2
■Casting: 1.5/2
■Relatability: 1.4/2
■Total: 7.7/10

“Dinner at my place” is directed by Kevin Luther Apaa and produced by Chiamaka Ebochue. The distribution of “Dinner at my place” is done by Film One Distribution.

“Dinner at my place” Cast

■Timini Egbuson as Nonso, the Nigerian-American who wants to propose to his girlfriend

■Sophie Alakija, as Nonso’s girlfriend

■Bisola Aiyeola as Nonso’s ex-girlfriend

■Debby Felix

■MC Lively

■Yemi Solade

■Uche Montana

■Charles Etubiebi

Crew Credits (Instagram: Kevin Luther)

☆Directed by @directorkla
☆Produced by @chiami.e
☆Cinematography by @barnyee
☆Gaffer @femi_swayy
☆1st AD @bankebakare
☆2nd AD @tofunmii_
☆1st AC @beecamp_bigbaby
☆Sound @aspire_sound
☆Sound Assistant @_seunpizzle @Olatunji Nife Ogundeji
☆HOD Costumier @damola
☆Assistant Costumier @babykiss_16
☆DIT @josephorioma
☆Art Director @harrisontivity
☆Art Dept @Germainfundz
☆Hair Stylist @vaavavoom
☆Continuity @ios_psalm
☆BTS @itortyvisualz
☆Make-Up @beautybybold
☆Production Manager @mz_ene
☆Production Company @duku_pictures

This Movie is Distributed by @filmoneng

As it premieres on January 28, You can watch “Dinner at my place” in the following cinemas:

Filmhouse cinemas
Genesis cinemas
Silverbird cinemas
Viva cinemas Nigeria
Blue pictures cinema
Cartege cinemas Aaba
Citadel cinemas
Dream park cinemas
Film world
Grand cinemas
Habitat cinemas
Kada cinemas
Marturion cinema
Diamond cinemas
Ozone cinemas
Rainbow cinemas Onitsha
G2g cinemas
Ebony life cinemas
Sky cinemas
Brands cinemas
Mega one cinemas
Heritage cinemas
Oop|cinemas
Mees palace cinema