Selina’s Wedding
Bimbo Ademoye, Daniel Etim-Effiong, Thelma Chukwunwem, Emem Ufot, Iveren Antiev, Opeyemi Dada, Ehis Perfect, Ayanime Edem
1hr 40mins
Abdul Tijani Balogun
Uduak Isong Oguamanam
Uduak Isong Oguamanam
2023
YouTube
Selina’s Wedding is the fourth installation of the ‘Selina‘ movie series which started as a singular movie about a love story between the help and her boss but resonated amongst the hearts of many. Since then, Selina (Bimbo Ademoye) and Reuben’s (Daniel Etim-Effiong) relationship has only grown in leaps and bounds as they have grown through various obstacles.
In this movie, Selina and Reuben go to visit Reuben’s mother (Thelma Chukwunwem) and spend some time in her home. Unlike Selina’s expectations, Reuben’s mother ends up actually being a true angel to her who is not only warm and hospitable but also welcoming and loving of her. In her time there, the gang comes through so we see Reuben’s sister again as well as Angel. They spend some time trying to refine Selina’s language in some funny moments with her lesson teacher, Mr Patrick (Emem Ufot), and then they spend some time planning the wedding. In the final scenes, we are greeted with the much awaited and heartwarming visuals of the union of the two hearts in both a traditional and Christian wedding ceremony.
It is important to reiterate and remember that this is a made-for-YouTube movie and the standards here are almost always different. There’s a lot of redundant scenes and motifs that could honestly have been cut short because while they were occasionally funny, they were not amusing enough for the amount of screen time they were given. There was a conflict thrown in there that was not overtly stretched but considering what Selina and Reuben had overcome in past movies, it did seem silly that this silly of a conflict stretched for any amount of time at all. Regardless, it was still a movie so some sort of conflict was required and it was easier to overlook it when this is considered.
The entire aim of this movie was to create a visual form of a heartwarming embrace that wraps up the story (at least I think so, unless they do a ‘Selina Returns’). There are many elements here that really send that point home, particularly in the characterization of Reuben’s mother and the way she is brought to life by Thelma Chukwunwem. Thelma is the human embodiment of the warm embrace in this film and serves as the cord that ties together all the other little characters together. The scenes where she is sitting together with the family (especially the dining room scene where everyone is speaking different languages) forces a smile on the faces of everyone watching.
While the beginning parts of the movie in the house are cute, the real gem is at the end of the movie – especially for audiences that have seen all the former movies. There is a true heartwarming feeling as we see Selina’s family members decide to rally around to give her a wedding that she deserves considering everything she has been through. It is also quite satisfying watching her get to have this dream wedding to a truly good man.