Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day as a new romantic comedy arrives in movie theaters. Marry Me follows the story of pop superstar Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez), who is about to marry her fiancée Bastian (Maluma) on stage in front of a live audience. However, right before she goes on stage, she discovers Bastian has been cheating on her. Facing her audience onstage in a wedding dress, devastated, she points to schoolteacher Charlie Gilbert (Owen Wilson) and decides to marry him on the spot. As the world responds to this crazy event, Kat and Charlie must figure out if their sudden marriage can lead to feelings of true love.
This premise is psychotic, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. The idea of a well-known celebrity and an average nobody forming a relationship has been a staple of the rom-com genre for years. A recent example of this is Long Shot, a 2019 film about an average guy entering a relationship with a politician. Once you sign up for a movie like this, you know damn well where the story will go. But the setup for this movie to have two strangers marrying at first sight? That’s straight out of reality television right there.
While this movie may send eye rolls through the audience, there’s a reason why a story like this has stood the test of time. These stories are fun to watch, and they lead to cute moments of fantastical Hollywood love. This is a surprisingly enjoyable rom-com with a ravishing romance. It’s the type of feel-good movie that doesn’t get made very often anymore. The era of the sappy Hollywood romance is over, which makes the occasional throwback to a film where you’ll smile and watch love blossom welcome in every way.
After one of the most outrageous meet-cutes of recent memory, Charlie’s life is turned upside-down. He finds himself in the center of the public eye, and he must navigate his way through it all while raising his daughter. While Lopez and Wilson are probably the last two people you would expect to play lovers, the movie is aware of the fact and has a fair amount of fun with it. The story is predictable and structured exactly like every Hollywood rom-com, but these two make up a swoon-worthy couple you love to see together.
The most significant flaw is that it’s not as funny as it could be. That isn’t to say the movie has many jokes that don’t land, but it does mean that the film rarely ever tries to be funny despite the additions of comedic performers like Wilson and Sarah Silverman. There is potential for humor in Charlie’s fish-out-of-water scenario, but the comedy is never fully taken advantage of. Director Kat Coiro helms the film pretty well, save for a few shots where a wide-angle lens is used, and the distortion on the edges of the frame took me out of the experience.
However, this movie is everything you want from a romantic comedy. J-Lo and Maluma fill up the soundtrack with a few catchy songs, and their music is put front and center alongside the romance. With the chemistry between Lopez and Wilson, this film succeeds as a fun time at the movies. It’s the perfect date movie for couples and the perfect optimist movie for singles. Of course, there are issues here and there, but in the end, Marry Me is a success.
SCORE: 7/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.
