Dinner at My Place is a Nigerian Romantic Comedy about a surprise proposal that goes nothing as planned. It stars Timini Egbuson (Fifty, Elevator Baby) in the lead role of Nonso, and is written and directed by Kevin Apaa. Notably, the film was shot in the largest city of Nigerai, Lagos.
The complete cast of the film includes Sophie Alakija as Nonso’s girlfriend Chioma, Charles Etubiebi as his best friend Jay, Bisola Aiyeloa as troublesome Bisi, Uche Nwaefuna as Chioma’s roommate cum friend Cynthia, Debby Felix, Michael Sani, and Olayemi Solade. Moreover, it has a runtime of one hour and forty-five minutes.
-Dinner at My Place Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-
The film starts with a letter from Nonso’s late mother, which reads about her last gift to her son, which is a twenty-two thousand dollar engagement ring. In the letter, Nonso’s mother states that she wishes him to get married and use the ring for an elegant proposal. The scene then absurdly switches to a pop song about romantic love without any delay (talk about match cuts).
Nonso (played by Timini Egbuson) is currently in a relationship with Chioma (played by Sophie Alakija) and has curated all the plans to take things to the next level. In the process, he is assisted by his best friend Ray, and Chioma’s roommate Cynthia. Almost everything is well in place for the big date, until it’s not.
Nonso’s manipulative and money-oriented ex-girlfriend makes an uninvited entry to the dinner. And ends up spoiling the occasion for everyone. What happens next, is a complete comedy of errors, or at least one that tries enough.
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The film is completely artificial right from the romantic montage at the start, till the very end. The screenplay is so dull, that nothing could save the feature from falling flat. In fact, the only time when you’ll actually have a contentful smile is during the credit roll.
Usually, it takes an extraordinary feat of actors to compensate for an average script. But, the leading performances of Timini Egbuson and Sophie Alakija are equally disappointing to watch. It almost looks like their expressions are forced, and nothing comes off as natural.
However, the supporting characters and specially Bisi (played by Bisola Aiyeloa) hold the fort in terms of acting. They are the only binding element to this otherwise distracting romantic comedy. In fact, the part of Bisi might be the most hated one in the flick, but it’s also the only role that makes enough effort to shine.
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Dinner at My Place Final Thoughts
The film is plain, dull and empty in certain places. It also has the tendency to become inconsistent with the ongoing events (in an attempt to produce a comic effect). Specifically, the robbery scene that comes towards the end, is as cringe as it can get. Moreover, the only thing you can remember from this romantic comedy is the vibing soundtrack.
You can watch the film on Netflix. Let us know your thoughts about it in the comment section below.
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