REVIEW: 'Marry Me' (2022, Kate Coiro)

Jennifer Lopez shines in Marry Me, a romantic comedy that is more dramatic than funny.

If Lopez surprised critics in her substantial role in 2019’s Hustlers, she further proves in Marry Me that she’s more than your everyday rom-com heroine.

She plays Kat Valdez, a famous international recording artist (like J.Lo herself) who is about to get married to her young boyfriend, Bastian (Colombian singer Maluma).  

At the start, Kat performs a zestful number titled “Church” — which may make the Pope faint since she’s almost naked, with only a jeweled cross covering her girly parts, and her backup dancers dressed as nuns in tight leather pieces.

Then tragedy strikes.

Moments before the wedding vows, Kat discovers on social media that Bastian is a gallivanting cheater. And so in front of millions of online and offline audiences, she breaks down.

But apart from the heartbreak, she is also struck by a revelation. Soon, her face becomes a slideshow of all her traumatic experiences, with Lopez nailing all the right emotional nuances.

Spurred by a sudden existential crisis, she picks a random guy from the audience, single dad Charlie (Owen Wilson) who happens to be holding a “Marry Me” sign.

They marry right away.

It’s a far-fetched scenario, but undeniably romantic as well. The script also gives Charlie much credence to saying yes to Kat on the spot. 

Marry Me feels semi-autobiographical, essaying the private lives — and humanity — of pop stars. There is one unforgettable scene of Kat, in a gorgeous, slow-mo shot from above, entering her vehicle after the insanely impromptu wedding, and it powerfully evokes a sense of her world collapsing.

The movie, however, is crammed with rom-com tropes, including, groan, a Ferris-wheel kiss. And there’s also the unmistakable homage to a Pretty Woman (1990) scene, recalling Richard Gere snapping a box of jewelry on Julia Robert’s hand.

But what saves Marry Me from falling short is Lopez. She is the heart and soul of an otherwise cliché love story. She recorded an entire album for this movie alone, and the tracks are moving and heartfelt, bringing to mind her breakout role in Selena (1997).

López (also Marry Me producer) lends Kat an affecting vulnerability and authenticity further establishing her as a serious actor. It’s like Lopez being herself, but more open and revealing. And when performing, she transforms into a larger-than-life superstar. At 52, Lopez is more stunning than ever. 

Marry Me also holds the key ingredient crucial to a love story — chemistry. Lopez and Wilson have it. Wilson’s affable Math nerd Charlie, with zero participation and knowledge of social media and celebrities, is likable. You want the couple to be together in the end, and you rejoice even if the final scene is cheesy.

Part J.Lo concert, part cute love story, Marry Me, directed by Kate Coiro, is winsome despite its commonplace scenes. If this movie were a perfume, its base note is comedy (thanks to Sarah Silverman who plays Charlie’s lesbian best friend), the heart note is romantic-drama, and the top note is great music.

3/5 

Published in the Daily Tribune