Sony Music Entertainment

Release Date: February 4th 2022

Reviewed by: Joshua Andre

Jennifer Lopez & Maluma– Marry Me (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)

Distributed By: Universal Pictures / Peacock

Release Date: February 11th 2022

Reviewed by Joshua Andre

Marry Me– Starring Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Maluma, Sarah Silverman, John Bradley, Chloe Coleman, Michelle Buteau; Directed by Kat Coiro

Track Listing [plus artists]:

1. Here Comes The Bride [Coolidge Crew]
2. Marry Me (Kat & Bastian Duet) [Jennifer Lopez & Maluma]
3. Pa Ti (For You) [Jennifer Lopez & Maluma]
4. Church [Jennifer Lopez]
5. 1 en 1 Millon [Maluma]
6. Love Of My Life (Marry Me) [Jennifer Lopez]
7. After Love (Part 1) [Jennifer Lopez]
8. Marry Me (Ballad) [Jennifer Lopez & Maluma]
9. Segundo [Maluma]
10. On My Way (Marry Me) [Jennifer Lopez]
11. Nobody’s Watching (Marry Me) [Jennifer Lopez]
12. Love Of My Life (Marry Me) (Arkadi Remix) [Jennifer Lopez]
13. On My Way (Marry Me) (TELYKast Remix) [Jennifer Lopez & TELYKast]

Ask me what type of movie I’d like to see, and there’d be no hesitation. A comedy of sorts, probably with sports attached (like Ted Lasso or Cobra Kai), or with action attached (like Central Intelligence, Kindergarten Cop or Last Action Hero). Sci Fi (Star Wars, Back To The Future) would maybe be next on my list, followed by action adventure/comedy (like Jumanji, Jungle Cruise, Ghosted, Indiana Jones, Rush Hour, Night At the Museum etc) and of course Disney films (cartoon and live action!). Romantic comedies… well, it depends on the actors involved, but generally speaking, it’s pretty low down on my list. For last year’s film Marry Me though (which has hundreds and hundreds of reviews and accolades!), I made an exception and a concerted effort to watch the film. Firstly, it was a musical film, and generally musicals haven’t steered me wrong. Secondly, it was Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson (a couple of my favourite actors), so there was no way I was missing out on this film. Thirdly though, and probably the most important- the trailer stuck out to me, and when you have a good trailer, that’s like marketing gold right there.

Last year, Jennifer Lopez released a soundtrack album with Maluma promoting the romantic comedy film. And though I an attempting to ‘review’ both the film and the movie (even though there really isn’t’ a reason to, considering both are more than a year old!), I’ll leave the final verdict up to all of you. Story-wise, the film is cliché, and with a typical Hollywood ending (no surprise than both the leads are paired together romantically by the film’s end!), you might not resonate with Marry Me. That’s ok though, because we all have our preferences. ‘Reviewing’ the album will spoil to movie (because so much of the songs are linked to the film’s plot and Jennifer’s character)- so in that sense I won’t really review either. All I can do, is highly recommend both projects.

Aside from J.Lo’s highly anticipated upcoming 2023 album This Is Me…Now, celebrating her romantic reunion with Ben Affleck; Marry Me (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is Jennifer’s first release since the 2014 album AKA. For me, songs like the title track, “After Love”, “Love Of My Life” and “On My Way” are the standouts- but really, the whole album is near-flawless and seamless in context of the brilliant, compelling, inspiring and honest film. It’s not a perfect album nor a perfect film. But Jennifer, Owen, and everyone else involved, were incredibly professional and superb in this- and Marry Me will undoubtedly renew your faith in romantic comedy films. You can read all about Jennifer Lopez in my blog about her, and about Owen Wilson in his Wikipedia page. Marry Me (the film and the album) may not be your thing. But please give it a go. You may be pleasantly surprised at how it resonates with you. It’s a feel-good movie, and speaks about doing something different in your life to keep it exciting, to keep it from going stale, and opening your world our to endless possibilities. What more could you want in a movie?

You really just want to sing and dance and act. This whole other thing comes along with it that you have to learn how to navigate — having that public life, this artistic life and then your private life. What you want is just a regular life, like anybody else. All of it is put under scrutiny.

You can’t live life and think that things are just mistakes: I just messed up there, I messed up there. No, it’s all lessons. It’s really what can you extrapolate from it that is going to help you grow and go to the next level of understanding yourself, finding yourself and being able to be at peace with your life, at peace with who you are.

3 songs to listen to: Marry Me, On My Way, Love Of My Life

Score (album): 4.5/5

RIYL: Shakira, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Ricky Martin, Gwen Stefani, Selena Gomez, Pitbull

Rating (movie): 4.5/5

RIYL: How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days, Wedding Crashers, Monster In Law, The Change Up, Shotgun Wedding, Life As We Know It, Going The Distance, Fever Pitch