Can you imagine being Jennifer Lopez? Can you imagine being 52 years of age and looking like that? It’s wild, isn’t it? She’s like this ageless, popstar movie star angel princess queen who can do no wrong. I’m sure she’s not perfect but… oh, who am I kidding? She is perfect. She can act, she can sing, she can dance, she can do it all. And even when she’s in super cheesy romantic comedies like this one, she’s still the embodiment of star quality.
In Marry Me, Lopez stars alongside leading man Owen Wilson, in which she plays Kat Valdez, a Latin-American pop superstar who is due to marry her fiancé during her next concert. Yes, during. Minutes before she goes on-stage, her assistant informs her that her soon-to-be husband has been cheating on her, and she calls off the wedding in front of millions of people. In a case of ‘right place, right time’, Wilson’s schoolteacher character Charlie is holding up a sign in the crowd that says “marry me” on it in big, bold letters. In a moment of madness, she calls him up to stand beside her and she marries him instead; a total stranger. Told you it was cheesy.
Is this another multiverse movie? Because there’s no way on earth that Samwell Tarly and Jennifer Lopez coincide in the same universe… Is there? Somehow, the whole thing seems realistic, whilst being completely unlikely. And that’s before we get started on the actual storyline.
Firstly, is it just me or… is Marry Me kind of charming? No, it’s not feasible or realistic in any way, and my God it’s hokey and corny and ridiculous, but you know what? It’s exactly the kind of movie we need these days. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and feels a lot like an early-2000s romcom that you can’t help but enjoy. In a time where the world is basically a pit of sadness, Marry Me is a welcome release.
As for the cast, anytime JLo is in a movie it becomes a must watch. I don’t care how bad the film is, after Hustlers especially, I can’t help but love her. Before I spiral into more JLo praise, I must say that Owen Wilson – whilst absolutely having no chance with Ms. Lopez in real life – somehow pulls off the loveable goofball well enough that you can kind of buy why a globally famous superstar might just fall for him. The supporting cast though? That is how you cast a romcom.
There’s nothing outstanding about this, don’t get me wrong. Though the music is really good (probably as a result of the subject matter), it’s not as if the filmmaking here will blow your socks off. Despite that, the script is oftentimes truly funny (and not even just because of Sarah Silverman), making it a really enjoyable viewing experience. It is definitely one of those movies you can lose yourself in after a bad day.
As far as romcoms go, Marry Me is pretty average. It’s waaaay too long for what it is, and there are definitely better examples of this type of thing. On the other hand, there are many movies within this genre that are not worth your time. This is not one of them.
Marry Me is currently available to rent on Amazon and the Google Play Store for £3.49.
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