Marry Me Review

When I saw the Marry Me trailer in theaters a few months back I laughed and laughed at the preposterousness of its premise. Superstar pop singer Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez), is humiliated moments before tying the knot in front of a sold-out concert when she discovers her husband-to-be Bastian (Maluma) has been cheating on her with her assistant. In an attempt to save face, Kat spontaneously decides to marry a random fan in the crowd instead (Owen Wilson), because who makes level-headed decisions in romantic comedies?? The two must reconcile their spur-of-the-moment decision with their two realities and of course, they find that maybe what they needed all along was each other. As ridiculous as Marry Me looked, it also promised to be a light and fluffy time at the movies, and who could turn that down these days?

Turns out, Marry Me feels like an old friend you haven't seen in years who hasn't changed a bit. As someone who loves the genre and has missed its presence in cinemas, something as harmless and dumb fun as Marry Me feels like more than welcome viewing. While the pairing here didn't completely work for me (their chemistry always feels more friendly than romantic), it's honestly nice to see a big-budget rom-com with two big stars again...even if it's nothing new and goes through all the familiar motions. Admittedly though, chemistry is a big element of a romantic comedy to not get completely right, which will keep Marry Me from being very memorable in the long run. Owen Wilson's math teacher and divorcee Dad Charlie just can't help but feel like he's from a different movie altogether with how silly everyone else plays this. He may have worked well with another actress in the part, but with Lopez, their romance just never enters the realm of believable.

Marry Me definitely feels self-aware with how absurd it all is, which at times feels like a good thing...but also simultaneously undermines its own heart. It makes us make sure we remember we're watching something fake, therefore nothing that unfolds feels genuine. In the end, it's no Notting Hill, a film that did the celebrity falls for an everyman story with far more success (and this is coming from someone who certainly wouldn't call Notting Hill perfect). However, when it comes down to it, the romantic comedy is such a rarity to find these days, that I'm able to be a lot more forgiving and willing to overlook a lot. While Marry Me is certainly not destined to become an enduring classic--if you're hungry for a rom-com no matter the quality, Marry Me will absolutely do the trick. RATING: 5/10