Marry Me
I continue to be utterly baffled as to how this story originated as a graphic novel, but I am absolutely charmed by Kat Coiro’s “Marry Me” in every way. It takes a silly premise, and turns it into a thoughtful look at adult relationships, the challenges of being in love, and how hearts change through it all. I did not anticipate that, and will gladly admit to being blindsided by this film.
Jennifer Lopez has always been a terrific movie star, even if the films she had kind of stuck her with mediocre material. She had star power right out of the gate in “Selena” and “Out of Sight”; her acclaimed performance in “Hustlers” only confirmed that she’s still got it. Here, she plays a megastar recording artist whose relationship with a (seemingly) younger star is made for the age of social media, which is- essentially- the amplification of the paparazzi; now anyone can get a scoop, not just journalists willing to sell their images to the highest bidder. It’s one such scoop that breaks her Kat Valdez and Bastian (Maluma) up, and opens the door for Charlie (Owen Wilson), a teacher who just happened to be in the crowd when she needed a husband.
The obvious tension that exists when Charlie says “I do” to Kat on stage is how a regular joe would handle the spotlight, and one of the things I really like in the screenplay by Harper Dill, John Rogers and Tami Sagher is that Charlie has enough agency to him as a character to lay out some ground rules. He’s not about to have his entire life turned upside down by being married to a star, but at the same time, he doesn’t want her life in utter madness, either. Charlie is a down-to-Earth guy, and it’s probably one of Owen Wilson’s better performances. We believe him as a father who would get talked into taking his daughter (Chloe Coleman) by his friend (Sarah Silverman, very funny) to the concert/wedding of Kat and Bastian that sets the whole plot in motion, and we also believe that he’s a man who could charm someone like Kat with how normal, and grounded he is. Why does she seem to fall for him, though? I think that’s where playing to Lopez’s age comes into play; Kat may be a superstar, but she’s also a woman of a certain age, and as we listen to her sing songs in the film, the latter comes into play in her thinking. That’s a big part of why we believe the chemistry between Lopez and Wilson; if there was a significant age gap, there’s no way this film would work as well as it does.
Most romantic comedies don’t make me laugh. Maybe a chuckle here and there, but honestly, if you nail the story and characters, I’m not going to hold it against you. There are some fun performances that give us enjoyment, like from Silverman and John Bradley as one of Kat’s assistants, and there’s a joyous scene in the classroom when Kat visits Charlie at work, but “Marry Me” isn’t funny enough to work solely as a romantic comedy. The performances by Lopez and Wilson, the songs (there’s great ones sung by J-Lo throughout), and the heart this film operates with throughout- that’s why “Marry Me” is a film to watch with someone you love.
