Bringing the Magic of Romantic Comedy to Cinema
People from different worlds cross paths and find themselves on a journey of love. It’s the most commonly used formula for a romance film – it even dates back to the finest works of William Shakespeare. But in Jennifer Lopez’s latest film, the story of the star-crossed lovers takes place in a setting close to the life of the actress.
“Marry Me” features Lopez and co-star Owen Wilson in a story set to premiere during the Valentine’s Day season. Talk about the reverse of life imitating art, Lopez in the film portrays pop star Kat Valdez, who learned her fiancé was cheating on her on their big wedding day in front of her loyal fans. “In a moment of inspired madness, Kat crosses eyes with a complete stranger (Wilson) in the crowd and marries him on the spot. As the forces conspire to separate the unlikely newlyweds, they must soon decide whether two people from such different worlds can find true love together,” as the synopsis goes.
“This film, for me, was very personal. I really understood this life. It’s literally going behind the veil of what it’s like to be a celebrity,” the lead actress says. “There was so much about it that I could understand, like no one else could. She has been in the business for a long time. She has ups and downs in her personal life.
In addition to giving a view of a star’s life through romcom genre lenses, the film also shines a light on Lopez’s musical artistry through an album that is sure to make hearts flutter upon hearing his tracks on film. . From the titular “Marry Me” and the infectious”Pa Ti,” “Segunda” and “Church” to the melancholy “Love of My Life” and the powerful ballad “On My Way”, the iconic songs of Lopez, Maluma and other contributors infuse the soundtrack with joy, grief and healing, as a character Lopez learns to move on from unthinkable pain.
“It’s also the first time I’ve been able to do an album with a movie, which was a dream of mine,” Lopez says. “It’s the first time I’ve done a movie with music since ‘Selena’, and in that movie they used Selena’s voice, so I never got to sing myself.”
“‘On My Way’ is the love theme of the film,” says producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas. “What I love so much is that he says, ‘Everything I did, I realize now that I was on my way to you and you’re on my way too. It encompasses the mistakes in your life and the fact that you couldn’t see the truth until you jumped off a cliff.
Known for his incomparable work in compositions from “The Greatest Showman” to “The Last Temptation of Christ”, Maestro John Debney’s challenge with “Marry Me” was to create a score that merged perfectly with the songs Lopez et al were creating. For the movie. “Kat Coiro and Jennifer gave great notes on where to play long themes and where not to,” Debney says. “It was wonderful to have direction from them. Jennifer was playing the piano and making up a melody. I took that melody and alluded to it. It was trial and error. If Kat felt that we got too much of a certain theme or scene, we’d take it out.
Director Kat Coiro can’t wait for audiences to experience it all. “We have million-dollar concert productions in one scene and a quiet moment with Jennifer soloing on the piano in another,” says Coiro. “We want to take audiences on an emotional and musical journey from Kat’s public persona to her private persona.”
“As a filmmaker, I want people to feel good,” adds the director. “It may sound corny, but the world is so dark these days that it’s a breath of fresh air to have something that legitimately makes people smile.”
“Marry Me” is a pre-Valentine’s Day release from Universal Pictures International that will be released in Philippine cinemas on February 9.
Watch the trailer here:
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