Marry Me Synopsis: Music superstars Kat Valdez and Bastian are getting married before a global audience of fans. But when Kat learns, seconds before her vows, that Bastian has been unfaithful, she decides to marry Charlie, a stranger in the crowd, instead.

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Music superstars Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) and Bastian (Maluma) have taken the world by storm with their fairy tale romance, and they make plans to get married during a concert where they will also reveal their new duet single, Marry Me. Just before taking their vows, Kat and the entire world learn of Bastian’s infidelity.

Heartbroken, Kat impulsively chooses a man out of the crowd to marry. The man turns out to be Charlie, a divorced dad and math teacher who only attended the concert to make his young daughter happy. Not wanting to humiliate Kat further, he agrees, and the two get married on stage, setting off a whirlwind of publicity and criticism.

For me, Marry Me was a movie reminiscent of the early 2000s rom-coms. It is an outlandish idea surrounded by sugary, light-hearted romance, charming leads, and the kind of fairytale ending that wouldn’t be complete without one of the characters racing across the city, town, or country to declare their love. I am pleased that Marry Me has all these must-haves and more.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Jennifer Lopez in a rom-com (Second Act doesn’t count), but she certainly hasn’t lost her touch in the genre. Even as a mega-superstar, Kat Valdez is still kind and down to earth, though not without her faults. Owen Wilson still plays the affable “aw shucks” kind of guy, but it doesn’t grate in this film how it might in others. He’s unbelievably charming, making it easy to see how and why Kat eventually falls for him.

Wilson and Lopez have surprisingly strong chemistry, which is always essential in a romantic comedy, but even more so in one where one character is a superstar and the other is just your average Joe. But they’re lovely on-screen together, making the journey to Happy Ever After well worth it.

I also have to shout out to the supporting cast because that’s where most of the actual humor came from. Sarah Silverman and Michelle Buteau, especially. If you’ve seen these women in anything else, you know they’re funny, and they owned the best lines in the movie. Maluma was fine as Bastian. He was everything you would expect a hunky Latin lover to be, though there was really never any doubt as to who Kat would end up with. I also enjoyed John Bradley as Colin, and if it’s possible, I would love Hollywood to start casting him in more roles, preferably any roles that could potentially go to James Corden.

Marry Me is not a perfect romantic comedy, but it’s really good. I loved its homages to various rom-coms, including Notting Hill, Pretty Woman, and Love Actually. Marry Me isn’t looking to subvert the genre. It knows exactly what it’s supposed to be and runs with it, which is why I think it succeeds. The lovely chemistry between Owen Wilson and Jennifer Lopez also helps make it enjoyable as well. If you’re a fan of escapist romance, this is the film for you.

Watched: 02/11/2022
Notable Song: On My Way to You by Jennifer Lopez