Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Sarah Silverman, Maluma, John Bradley, Chloe Coleman
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Runtime: 112 mins. Reviewed in Feb 2022
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc
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Romcom 21st-century style. A popular singer about to marry on TV learns, seconds before her vows, that her fiancé has been unfaithful she chooses a random member of the audience – a maths teacher.
‘A guilty pleasure.’ Not exactly the expected opening for a review of this romantic comedy. For fans of Jennifer Lopez, definitely a pleasure, not a guilt. For those who are not Jennifer Lopez fans, yes, then this is probably a guilty pleasure.
‘An insane response to a manic situation.’ Well, that is what one of the characters states early in the film – and, just saying it out loud, it does seem manic, preposterous. Here is a top American singer, about to be married in front of 20 million viewers, singing a duet with her partner, and suddenly discovering while on stage that he has been unfaithful to her.
Stop the marriage! And, the most manic moment is Kate Vogel, Jennifer Lopez’s character, surveying the audience, seeing an innocuous non-fan in the spotlight, holding a placard given to him by his daughter with big letters of the name of the song, ‘Marry Me’. She chooses him for an instant ceremony. And it happens!
At this stage, non-fans of Jennifer Lopez (and probably a big percentage of critics) are squirming in their seats. What could possibly happen?
In fact, what happens is a variation on the romantic comedy, although, to be fair, the audience knew the background of her choice when she didn’t, Wilson playing Charlie Gilbert, divorced, having time with his 12-year-old daughter, Lou (Coleman), a nice man who teaches maths in a creative way at school. And, he has a most boisterous friend, Parker, Sarah Silverman doing a lively Sarah Silverman. It is she who dragged Charlie to Kate Vogel’s concert/marriage.
Jennifer Lopez wrote nine new songs for this film and there are some lavish staging as well as very quiet ones, (and that opening number is a highlight of showbiz kitsch).
We can’t help liking Charlie, who is bemused by the whole shenanigans. And one of the main questions, of course, is how he is going to survive all the media hype. One of the interesting things about the screenplay is that there numerous lines, situations, critically sending up the media, the stars entourage, the paparazzi and the everlasting cameras, (with Parker at one stage firing an extinguisher contents at the pursuing pack).
This is the story of the mellowing of the superstar, her having to face a few realities at school, for instance, rather than in her luxury jet. She has to become practical. And, she has to weigh up promoting her Grammy nomination with the reality of the relationship. And Charlie, charmed, fascinated, gradually falling in love, has to make decisions about Kate, Lou, and his students who are competing in the state Mathathon (with Lou as one of his stars but suffering from nervousness).
Realistic? Of course not, the film doesn’t claim to be. But, a dose of realism in the lives of these characters? Certainly.
A guess would be that at the end, not on stage but at the Mathathon, there’s probably a tear or two and sniffle around the cinema. Guilty.
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