Movie: Marry Me

Marry Me is one of those movies that may surprise some audience members.

While it’s sure to appeal to lovers of a `feel-good rom com’ those `dragged along’ by their partners (after all the movie is being released around Valentine’s Day) may be pleasantly surprised thanks to the chemistry between the leads.

Marry Me tells of musical superstar Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) who is due to marry fellow superstar Bastian (Maluma) in front of thousands of fans at their concert and a live-streaming audience of 20 million people.

The two are regarded as ‘the’ celebrity power couple and have just released a hit single Marry Me.

Minutes before the ceremony Kat discovers Bastian has been cheating on her with her assistant. Having already been married twice and facing this third heartbreak, Kat understandably questions on stage what love and marriage actually mean.

Then she decides she’s going to marry someone that night and it might as well be a stranger.

Enter Charlie Gilbert (Owen Wilson) who has been dragged to the concert by his best friend Parker (Sarah Silverman) with the encouragement of his daughter Lou (Chloe Coleman).

Kat locks eyes with Charlie and decides he is the one. Caught up in the moment Charlie agrees and the two marry on stage.

Next morning on hearing from her manager Colin (John Bradley) that her ‘husband’ is a highly-regarded, divorced high school maths teacher, Kat decides to give the relationship a go for six months, mainly due to the public relations opportunities.

The two couldn’t be more opposite, Kat’s life is glamorous and very public with everything she does captured on social media including her own channel.  Charlie doesn’t even own a smart phone.

Needless to say they fall for each. Although there are numerous challenges in getting used to each other’s worlds as both characters are portrayed as caring people with good hearts there’s more playful teasing than major conflict.

When the couple break up it’s because Charlie believes he doesn’t belong in Kat’s world.  But then Kat starts to question that world and what she wants out of life. Is being a huge celebrity and living your life on social media enough?

Fans of Lopez will no doubt enjoy Marry Me, thanks to her many original songs featured in the movie.  And, of course, she is totally believable as a musical superstar with a glamourous wardrobe!

Wilson is equally as credible as an uncomplicated caring person, totally devoted to his daughter and his students.

Together the two have a great chemistry. They are well supported by Latin music star Maluma, Silverman (whose comic timing is impeccable), Bradley and Coleman.

Although the story-line is implausible –  then again with all the reality TV shows these days with a ‘celebrity bent’ maybe not – Marry Me offers a couple of hours of entertaining escapism.

Marry Me is showing at cinemas around Australia