Pop music superstars Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) and Bastian (Maluma) are going to get married live on stage in New York. That is until a video of him cheating on her goes viral just seconds before the big moment. In an effort to do something different Kat decides to marry the single father standing in the audience before her, maths teacher Charlie Gilbert (Owen Wilson). 

Marry Me is the classic rom-com set up. Boy meets girl, they fall in love against all odds, barriers are imagined to separate them, someone needs to rush to an airport and then everyone lives happily ever after. The thing is though, that when done right this cliche can be heart warming and a lot of fun and thanks in the main to a radiant performance from Jennifer Lopez, ‘Marry Me’ is exactly that. 

Lopez playing a global pop superstar may not exactly be a stretch for her. Especially one that had to work her way up from nothing and has been married three times. In fact one of the most unbelievable plot lines in the film was that her pop icon had never been nominated for a Grammy award only for me to discover that Lopez has only ever received two nominations making this even more a fictional variation of her. But Lopez imbues Kat Valdez with the sort of charisma that would blind you it is so bright whilst looking absolutely stunning in every frame of the film. I also like to think that the little swipe at not needing awards that Owen Wilson’s character makes is in direct response to Lopez criminally not getting an Oscar nomination for Hustlers. So you may scoff at the idea of a global pop superstar playing a global pop superstar but when she delivers such a film making performance it is absolutely worthwhile. 

As a vehicle for new music it is also a pretty good effort for fans of Lopez and Maluma (no I have never heard of him but I am definitely not cool). With the likes of ‘After Love’ and ‘On My way’ certainly stirring emotion in the context of the film. 

In fact the only real damp squib for me was Owen Wilson who seemed a little wooden and awkward during the romantic scenes. But then again perhaps that was just some brilliant acting on his part? 

Marry Me will not change the film world and it does not even challenge the likes of the great romantic comedies but damn it is a lot of fun.