'Marry Me' - Movie Review

Jennifer Lopez is Kat Valdez, a superstar singer about to marry Bastien (Maluma - playing another superstar singer), who she finds out is cheating on her moments before they're supposed to be married on stage. Instead, she picks a math teacher dad (Owen Wilson) out of the crowd, and marries him on the spot. The movie follows their attempts to find out if this insane choice might actually work.

The movie has a number of really good points, but, being a fairly standard rom-com, it also has some seriously stupid bits. In the latter category is the set piece that sets everything in motion. On the plus side, JLo and Wilson are wonderful together. For those who know their rom-coms, it may be reminiscent of "Notting Hill" - the incredibly famous star with the nice guy nobody knows. The classic rom-com plot-point of the couple splitting up because one of them thinks it won't work and then the grand gesture to get them back together ... guess what, that's in here too.

Along with the very silly opening event, other minuses include JLo and Maluma's singing (although many people will probably like this), some mildly over-the-top characters, a plot that hauls in a lot of clichés, and a lot of product placements.

Among the pluses, we have the chemistry between the stars. Wilson playing almost entirely straight and surprisingly charming. Kat's manager (John Bradley) - I'm so tired of the sleazy manager cliché, it was lovely to see a competent guy who's really doing his best for his client, he really likes her (but he doesn't love her, another common cliché). No hideously over-the-top characters. And a (mostly) well written script.

The end result is an intermittently enjoyable rom-com that really manages to embody everything good and bad about the genre. But the most important thing works: the lead couple are convincing.