Movie Review ‘Marry Me’

Twenty million fans worldwide are breathlessly waiting to hear two words spoken from the lips of their favorite pop stars. Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) and her fiancé Bastian (Maluma) have arranged not only to utter these words to one another in front of an audience of thousands yelling and screaming, “Marry me,” but actually take their wedding vows.

The fans are also frenetically waving signs with the same message. Parker (Sarah Silverman), a guidance counselor at a school in Queens, New York, has two extra tickets to the event, and after much coercing, convinces a colleague and his young daughter to join her.

Charlie Gilbert (Owen Wilson), a divorced math teacher, is not the least interested in or knowledgeable about modern music but finally agrees to take his daughter to the event.

Standing in the packed theater, he notices the audience suddenly becoming subdued and pay more attention to their mobile phones than what is taking place on the stage. Kat also notices everyone staring and gasping at their phones. Snatching a phone from her producer, she sees the reason for the lull in the excitement – a compromising video of Bastian and one of Kats female assistants.

Standing in her glittering wedding dress, surrounded by her entourage on stage, Kat abruptly realizes that she may not have been meant to marry her on-stage partner, Bastian. Struggling to decide what to do, she scans the audience and spots Charlie holding up someone else’s “Marry me” sign. In an instant she invites him to the stage, and they marry.

Backstage her management team suggest, for appearance’s sake, they stay married for a time and then divorce. The newlyweds agree and go their separate ways. In the following weeks the newlywed couple make appearances at special events so fans can see them together. Much to the delight of his fans – his students and daughter, Charlie is surprised by Kat visiting his math class.

Their lifestyles differ greatly, but during their time together, they begin to find these differences not threatening but fun. They even go so far as to kiss. Kate travels frequently for work yet is always happy to return to the company of Charlie. He, too, misses her presence and looks forward to her return.

Parker is ever present to protect Charlie from the paparazzi and encourage his and Kat’s growing dependency. She hopes the dependency may turn into love and the marriage continue after the “test” period. Things are going so well for Kate that she composes a new song, On My Way.

After a brief absence, Bastian reenters Kat’s life. He announces they have both been nominated for a Grammy award, for their song Marry Me. Being nominated means they have to preform their song at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

This is yet another trip for Kat, but this time with her former fiancé. They are both excited about the nomination. She, however, is concerned that the trip may rekindle the flame she once felt for Bastian. Charlie is also worried that that same flame will outshine the one she feels for him.

Directed by Kat Cairo (credits: Life Happens, In Case of You) “Marry Me” is a “see” movie that runs 112 Minutes

johan@beachomber.news