Marry Me feels like a vanity project made to sell a hot new JLo soundtrack. Thankfully, Jennifer Lopez is surrounded by plenty of amazing actors to keep things afloat when her chemistry with Owen Wilson starts to look suspect. It doesn’t help that the film probably has very little resemblance to the Bobby Crosby graphic novel it’s based on. But with the core plot intact — what would happen if one of the world’s biggest superstars decided to marry a complete stranger — Marry Me fares way better than most modern rom-coms. Surprisingly not being dumped exclusively to streaming — although it is also available on Peacock — kudos to Universal for releasing something amidst another pandemic Valentine’s weekend while also trying to counterprogram the weekend’s big game.
Kat Valdez (Lopez) and Bastian (Maluma) are a pop-star couple set to wed in front of a live audience set to the tune of their smash single, “Marry Me.” But when social media unleashes footage of Bastian cheating on Kat with her assistant, she takes a leap of faith and marries divorcé Charlie (Wilson) instead. Now, the two are caught up in a paparazzi whirlwind as Kat decides she wants to keep being married to see how it plays out. Meanwhile, Charlie is trying to adjust to the social eye because all he wants to do is teach math and try to convince his 12-year-old daughter, Lou (Chloe Coleman) that he can be as fun as her mom. With all eyes on the new couple, they try to sort out their separate lives to find out if there’s any chance of combining them.
Anyone who has ever seen a rom-com will know exactly what happens here. At least this one is fun and funny, while being engaging and charming. Lopez and Wilson have an interesting enough dynamic, as they are both such different types of actors, that it makes the offbeat relationship feel more realistic than it could have. Sarah Silverman gets to lay on some hilarious one-liners as Charlie’s best friend/coworker, while John “Samwell Tarly” Bradley gets some chuckles as Kat’s manager. Marry Me never ever tries to reinvent the wheel, which honestly makes it feel slightly refreshing in its straightforward approach. Whether sitting in a theater, or watching from your couch, Marry Me offers just enough entertainment for even the most jaded viewer.
