The movie came out on Friday the 13th of January 2023, following its predecessor which came out early 2018. It’s described as a romcom, but I think it fits more in the dramedy category. Both are directed by Tosh Gitonga, famously known for directing the highly rated Nairobi Half Life.
The first movie focused on characters Josh and Celine amongst a friend group of singles navigating the dating life in Nairobi. However, that storyline is left hanging with this sequel that follows TK and Otis who go through a similar ‘will they or won’t they’ plot.
I had to rewatch the first movie again just to see if I was missing something.
The writing of the sequel is incredibly different from the first one, and in my opinion Silas Miami did a much better job with the dialogue and pacing of the first movie.
‘The Wedding Planner’ does have amazing cinematography though. The DOP and colourists did a fantastic job. The drone shots were amazing too.
Nairobi and Diani were depicted as the breathtaking tourist attractions that they are. The styling, makeup and costume design fit all the characters perfectly as well.
All in all, the art direction was incredible and is the best part about this movie.
My other favourite things were how Nairobi middle class culture (and dating life) were depicted. From the dialogue to the little mannerisms which Pascal Tokodi and Catherine Kamau captured perfectly. That opening scene with Otis where character development sets the tone of the movie, to the nose point TK did when the bride asked where Otis is when they were at the beach (if you know, you know) showcased this. I also really love that TK still carried on her personality from the first flick into this one despite the upgrade to a boss babe over the years. Her exchanges in Kikuyu were hilarious, especially in contest to Yoruba, plus her ability to mix drama and comedy in the same scenes was a joy to watch.
I enjoyed the cultural representation as well - the Yoruba, the Swahili and the Kikuyu. In fact, most of my favourite scenes included the two Nigerian Uncles. I genuinely laughed at all their scenes together.
Now for the REAL disconnect. (SPOILERS AHEAD)
Weddings, infidelity and babies as a cyclical plot to create storylines.
So far we have had 2 weddings, 4 cheaters and 3 pregnancies.
The introduction to Otis’ and Pretty’s child was ok. The guy is a player, most of those come with children when they hit their 30’s - but did Celine need a baby? Did Judy?? Especially after that incredibly messy storyline? Nothing was resolved, everything was rushed. I really hated that. What was Khalid doing with Judy in the first place? Since when were they close? Richard was so annoying and unlikeable, him and Judy actually deserve each other. Celine needs to move on.
Honestly, most supporting characters were painful to watch. None of them had chemistry and if there was an opportunity to build on that it was wasted on the jagged pacing of the entire film.
I would have really liked to see Nick Mutuma reprise his role as Josh in this sequel because the ending of the first movie left so many questions unanswered and his character with Celine had genuine chemistry. I was invested in their story and wanted to see where that could go. They could have been the healthy couple of the friend group who tries to help out Otis and TK figure out their dynamic as the only other characters with chemistry.
I really didn’t care for anyone else, they were better off single.
I liked Wanjira Longauer’s character - living her best life as a single sexy woman on vacation, keeping the mess at bay and enjoying her friends wedding.
More of that please?
The hotel owner/manager was an unnecessary character in my opinion. She was doing too much and all her lines fell completely flat.
There was a mention of ADHD at the very end, which felt distinctly crass. Like a last minute addition to make Otis feel like a complex character (which he is, just badly written) and a misplaced shout out to the mental health issues Kenyans face today. That could have definitely been done better, or just not done at all.
All in all, I think the movie had potential to be great were it not for the scattered storylines and uneven pacing. If they do a third one I really hope they can align the best things about both movies and create a perfect ending to the series.
I’m happy to see more Kenyan and African movies on platforms like Netflix, and I hope the industry grows even more from these opportunities.
Rating - 6/10.