User Reviews

Look I admit its not the greatest ever made but I enjoyed it alot. It does not really do much wrong except maybe take the idea a bit far to be believable but look it beats an action movie. I wish they had made better charactors who were more believeable but that would have risked making it less funny. I remember though most clearly on of the lines from the movie which really stood out and was hilarious and is still everytime I think about it. Alex Baldwin is getting beaten up and thrown round a room by this hotshot rich guy who he really does not like and he gets thrown into a cupboard totally destroying the room and he is busy of all things handing out insults to his aggressor. The best of which is: "that suit...it looks like the lining to a better suit"

This movie purports to be based on a real couple. Probably the real couple was more interesting and complex, but surely not as attractive. I generally have problems with Baldwin and Basinger -- normally I find them both rather cold. That's not true in this movie though, perhaps because they were (I've read) having a torrid affair during the filming. In any event, there is real electricity between them, and I like the period atmosphere. I also like the sort of "Disney-fied feel" the movie has; they have filtered out all of the messy parts of reality and made everything comprehensible. It's fake, but it's an appealing fake.

I don't know why but "The Marrying Man" doesn't work. Neil Simon is one of the greats and I usually enjoy both Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin. Those three together should have made for a good movie. Unfortunately, "The Marrying Man" isn't that good. It has its moments but enough to make it worth while. Maybe this movie was misdirected. Maybe directing a Neil Simon script is not as easy as it looks. Maybe the slick production smothered a lot of the humor. I don't know but "The Marrying Man" is an okay movie at best.

I cannot understand why the ratings and comments on this movie are as mediocre to poor as they are. This was a fun movie. Sure, it's a bit silly and it plays with history and facts but it's essentially just fun and harmless yet fast moving and entertaining. Does every movie have to be The English Patient? Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger do a really good job of lite hearted comedy about a couple that keeps finding each other, over and over again! Baldwin's pals, Paul Reiser, Fisher Stevens, Peter Dobson, and Steve Hytner, are great support players as they are funny and engaging about the trials and tribulations of this love affair.

Robert Logia is terrific as Baldwin's ex-fiancé's father, a power broker in Hollywood hell bent on destroying Baldwin's characters life after he jilts not once but TWICE his daughter played by Elizabeth Shue. But in many ways it is Armand Assante who steals the movie with his portrayal of Bugsy Siegel. Assante is so controlled and smooth, yet so believable as a cold blooded gangster/killer. He plays the role with a true sense of comedic timing.

The cast is first rate, the movie has some good twists and turns, and it'll go by quickly which every good movie will do. I liked it and I'm betting if you like lite hearted comedy you'll like it too.

Jerry Rees's 'The Marrying Man' is one of those funny and spot-on flicks that have the potential to become classics, but they falter in the most important portion of the film... it's culmination.

'The Marrying Man' stars Alec Baldwin as a playboy, who is a 6 days away from his marriage... in a trip with friends, he falls in love with the sultry Kim Basinger, who also has her share of problems and complications. The film has a terrific first hour, in fact you're hooked into the screen completely! But the penultimate 40-minutes drag and become boring. The culmination is stupid and highly unconvincing. What disappoints more is that this flick is written by a genius like Neil Simon!

Moving on, Rees direction is fair. Acting wise, Robert Loggia is terrific in a brief role. He steals the show! Alec Baldwin is quite good. Kim Basinger looks amazing, as ever! Her performance is perfect. Elisabeth Shue is okay. All the actors who play Alec's friends are mechanical.

'The Marrying Man' deserves a watch. It has a superb first hour and the lovable Kim Basinger to it's kitty.

This movie is all about the allure of anticipation, especially between two lovers. It's about that feeling you get when you fall "in love" with that special someone and can't get that person out of your mind. But it's also about how that feeling can all too often leave you before you know what has happened. In this respect, I think the movie does a good job depicting this phenomenon. Baldwin and Basinger express a real yearning for each other that can really be felt throughout the movie.

The only really bad part about this film is that the story is somewhat chopped up and the "narration"-style presentation could use some work. Other than that, it's good to watch if you catch it on TV or something.

Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger struggle to enliven soggy comedy about a playboy ne'er-do-well who marries and then divorces the same woman--a torch singer and one-time gangster's moll--over and over again. Rather ungainly little movie, written for the screen by no less than Neil Simon, repeats its meet-cute formula until a certain bleary-eyed resentment sets in. It's not a promising idea in the cinematic sense, and director Jerry Rees can't seem to get it off the runway (despite a lively opening). Good supporting players Armand Assante, Robert Loggia and Paul Reiser aren't much help. As for enfant terribles Baldwin and Basinger: at this stage in their careers, neither was able to carry a picture. Baldwin is wiry but green and nervous; Basinger is gaining confidence as a performer but can find no positives for herself in this material. *1/2 from ****

Revisiting this movie in it fullness yesterday on DVD, it pleased me deeply, due the uniqueness, also depicted sense of humor which the movie was geared by the sophisticated writer Neil Simon, moreover with the magnetism sexual on both leading roles, Kim Basinger as bimbo singer Vick Anderson with strongest sexual appeal working at Las Vegas at show house and in her spare time as Bugsy Siegel's mistress (Armand Assante) and Charley Pearl (Alec Baldwin) a millionaire playboy about to marry with perfect bride Adele Horner (Elisabeth Shue) daughter of a powerful studio's owner Lew Horner (Robert Loggia) the chemistry of both was overwhelming, soon they meet privily at her own room making a wild love night, when sudden appear the menacing Mob gangster Bugsy, instead to break Charley's legs and put his feet at cement's block to late throw away at lake, he decides make an unusual damage, he enforces both in a marriage there, promptly stamped on morning newspaper, worst couldn't be, however Charley was bewitched by Vick, the divorce process took three long months, he make a deal of 500 thousand dollars with the enraged Lew Horner, meanwhile he was invited by his closest friend who'll sing at night club, guess who also was there singing, yes Vick, once more Charley break his previous agreement and finally marry her once more, Basinger was gorgeous than never, at peak of her prettiness, today reading some low comments about the movie that had mere 5.8, highly underrated!!!

Resume:

First watch: 1994 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7

This film is proof that by just combining two of my favorite stars with the writing of Neil Simon, is not necessarily a guarantee of success. I understand that this is a comedy and the actions of the characters may be exaggerated for comic purposes. The problem is that even though the characters actions made no sense through the movie, it wasn't funny. I honestly found myself disliking Alec's character. Sorry everyone. I would rather watch Alec and Kim in The Getaway(1994) which I thought was a lot better than the 1972 original.

Charley Pearl (Alec Baldwin) is a lazy playboy that spends days with his friends, fast cars and nights in nightclubs. While he is engaged to Adele Horner (Elisabeth Shue), the daughter of Hollywood tycoon Lew Horner (Robert Loggia), he spends a night with his buddies in a Las Vegas nightclub and meets sultry Vicky Anderson (Kim Basinger), a torch singer that makes him change his mind on his dream woman. Since Vicky is conscious of the fact that Charlie has the hots for her she leaves the window open and lets Charlie have a one night stand, but unfortunately they are found by her boyfriend Bugsy Siegel that forces them to marry. And so they end up divorcing, remarriyng, having kids, divorcing, remarrying, buying a big house in the woods, divorcing, and the same things mentioned again and again. This is basically the plot of the movie.

You might wonder how with such a cast and especially the beautiful pairing of Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin (that met during filming of this movie) this movie is a bomb. Well, the fault is mostly of the writer that put the setting for the movie on a continuous loop. After Charlie meets Vicky the movie is simply a repetition of the same things again and again. It becomes tiresome and I personally, after a while, I was only hoping that the movie would have ended soon.

However, worth watching movie only if you have really nothing to do or if you have very low standards. Otherwise, don't bother. The leads have made so many better movies.

'The Marrying Man' is one of the most underrated Kim Basinger-movie of them all. I have to admit that it's one of my favorite ones. I'm not a person of romantic comedies, but if there's a real beauty goddess in it (like Kim) who makes the whole plot sexier it's really worth to see it. The film is a typical classic-type Hollywood-movie with the sweaty plot of an operetta. The acting is great, the pictures are so colorful and Kim shines like Rita Hayworth in 'Gilda' when she sings the hit songs of Cole Porter and co. Those people who thinks that these kinds of movies are silly have to understand that people of this world needs these nice tales. It's a very professional kind of entertaining with glamorous stars. Kim is a great singer! 'Let's Do It-Let's Fall in Love'...with her.

This movie on the face of it is complete rubbish. Harmless rubbish, but rubbish all the same. However it does have the redeeming feature of being extremely funny in places. The wacky story line makes this enjoyable, if unrealistic. The film is worth watching, just don't expect anything earth moving.

This is the movie where Alec Balwin and Kim Baisinger fall in love, FOR REAL! Their chemistry is potent and obvious... and they were married shortly after!

Yes, it's very funny in places, a tribute to human emotional insanity under the influence of love... and OH so true.

Largely, to my mind, because of the REAL emotions between the main characters (they WEREN'T acting) it was fantastic. Alec is the quintessential male victim of love - totally illogical and totally devoted to the female who's totally seduced him. And she comes to believe a man willing to die for her is better than the meal ticket she's got in the mob guy... to everyone's detriment.

Watch it again, people, appreciating it's relation to actual history...

A very rich toothpaste heir playboy (Baldwin) lets raging testosterone make all of his major decisions, which results in tiresomely predictable but never really fatal results. The object of most of his affection is a Las Vegas cabaret singer who is the girlfriend of Bugsy Siegel (Armand Assante in a too-brief appearance). Kim Bassinger does a lot of singing and even more shimmying, but that's about all she contributes to a script which consists mostly of a tiresome series of not very funny one-liners. Don't be misled by the Neil Simon credit. Simon has done far better plays, and should have known enough to burn the script of this disaster before letting anyone film it.

There is love and there is hot, Charlie and Vicki had both, why is this so amazing? A myriad of reasons, so let's attempt to make the necessary detachment! Love is trust, mutual understanding, mutual respect and spiritual growth. Sex is fantasy, illusion, degrading escapism and some other kind of growth (guess what?). The film "Marrying Man" delves into the painstaking dichotomy of what a marriage should be, and what men really want out of it. The creative itemization to this movie is marvelous! All of the circumstances in this movie make love and hot the overt culprits to virtually all of Charlie's (Alek Baldwin) problems. The genre of this film evokes a tremendous wealth of humor which is based on the fact that a nefariously candid handful of guys are afflicted by their relentlessly sordid human nature! The entire movie appealed to me: Taking place in the fifties, the events of this era accommodated an auspicious camaraderie with the cavalier demeanor of this film! This movie was full of mildly lewd behavior which reflected the naivety of the times! Another stellar aspect to this flick was, of course, the given factual detail that Kim Bassinger looked utterly gorgeous!!. Neil Simon directs this movie, and, it surprises me how Mr Egalitarian Liberal of the Seventies, (Neil Simon) can be so flippant about this film's insinuated sexist wiles of chicanery, kidding or otherwise!! The music accommodated the pace of this film, and the acting was incredibly believable. People might say, "You are suppose to take a driver's license test four times if you have to, you are not suppose to marry the same woman four times". To which I say, "Marrying the same woman four times, "Can Do!!"

If you like Damon Runyon (obviously, Neil Simon does!), it's a probable 12 to 7 that you will LOVE this movie. Sets are fabulous depiction of "old Las Vegas" as are costumes. Because of the period depiction, this movie is more entertaining now than when it was released in 1991. Almost as good as "Let it Ride" (Richard Dryfus).

If you are looking for reality, you won't find it here. But what you will find is clever (remember, Neil Simon wrote it), good acting, and GREAT singing by Kim Basinger (I didn't know she could do that!)and absolutely fabulous narration by I don't even know who. The morning line on this movie may have been 5 to 2 but it closed an odds on favorite in my book.

I didn't know the writing credits were on Neil Simon. And me and my wife saw the movie enjoying every line of the text. We're great admirers of Mr.Simon, who created the leading style in good American comedies humour. The Marrying Man is an invitation to find the right person in our lives. That person that awakes our most passionate side, the one which worth to live. Okay, I'm becoming a little dramatic, but my wife and I, we know (thanks God...and us) what true love can do with your life, for better! It's a great movie, plenty of meanings. Watch it twice!

Whether you'd admit it or not, I don't believe that anyone watched this movie and didn't enjoy it. It talks to our basic instincts in a very honest way. I mean ain't we all looking for this undying passion? You look at them (Alec and Kim) in this movie and you can believe that this kind of passion can be found but you need to be lucky enough to be mutual. For we all know that we sometimes meet people and have such feelings for them and they don't exchange it back or vice versa.

The movie has so funny scenes and Baldwin is so funny as well. Kim is so charming and the whole movie would push you towards finding this kind of coupling.

An excellent romantic comedy. Kim Basinger is superb in the role of a cabaret singer. She is gorgeous, immediate, and really puts over a song. She radiates true star quality and the staging of the songs is stunning. The screenplay is fresh and funny, and creates a delightful artificial reality that is validated by the emotional truths it conveys. Alec Baldwin is appealing and natural. Elizabeth Shue is perfectly cast in a subsidiary role and delivers with conviction. Minuses are the supporting four Baldwin buddies and major lapses in mise en scene. A touching, funny, and underrated movie. If, like me, you've passed by the video box for eons, turned off by the Art Disco graphic design, take a deep breath and give it a try.

Alec Baldwin plays Charley, an eccentric millionaire who is worth 28, 38, 48 million dollars, something like that! This buys a lot of things, maids, swimming pools, clout and influential friends...Oh!!! one more thing!! a twisted life!! Earmarked to marry some pro-corporate, social register bimbo, Charley falls in love with a lounge singer, and parenthetically he is hot for her as well!! Generally, you are not hot for the woman you fall in love with...Very unusual!! but, on the other hand,!! How Nice!! Kim Bassinger looks absolutely beautiful in this movie ,virtually every guy who watches this movie puts themselves in Alec Baldwin's position!! Being married to the same GORGEOUS!! woman copious times, insures that he is not only in love, but he also has the hots, CONSTANTLY!! GREAT MOVIE!! Not a typical Neil Simon film, this one takes the men's side!! The typical guy can laugh inwardly as well as outwardly throughout this entire film!! This is a better Neil Simon effort!! There are no platonic responsibilities to securing an amicable divorce!! Not everyone is a New York intellectual! Nice to know such an accomplished director can accommodate a prevailing eighties philosophy of men just acting like men!! I think this movie is so hilarious!! but then again!! I should!! I am a guy!!

My review was written in March 1991 after a screening on Manhattan's UES.

Just when audiences got over Disney's "Scenes from a Mall" the distributor is unleashing "The Marrying Man", a stillborn romantic comedy of staggering ineptitude. Industry badmouthing of the stars during production was just a preview of the terrible picture.

Author Neil Simon reportedly has disowned this film, which offers little in the way of comedy or diversion. An awkward flashback structure tells of egotistical toothpaste heir Alec Baldwin falling in love with chanteuse Kim Basinger on an outing in 1948 with his buddies to Las Vegas.

Instead of marrying his beautiful girlfriend back in L. A., Elisabeth Shue, Baldwin is forced into a shotgun wedding with Basinger by Armand Assante as Bugsy Siegel, Basinger's main man. Key plot point that this is Bugsy's "revenge" for catching Baldwin in the sack with his girlfriend is impossible to swallow. Also unbelievable are the duo's several breakups and remarriages.

Lack of chemistry between the two principals is only the first problem of "Marrying Man". Obvious re-hoots result in an unwieldy package that has the film climaxing with perhaps 30 minutes to go, making it play like an original and a sequel spliced together. Director Jerry Ree, who previously helmed the animated feature "The Brave Little Toaster", has the usually dependable cinematographer Donald Thorin light interiors as if for film noir rather than comedy.

He also shifts uncomfortably from big set pieces to utterly static, talkative exposition scenes in closeup sans background action. Result is grim and pointless.

Basinger, replete with vocal coach and choreography by no less then Jeffrey Hornaday, gives a mechanical impression of a competent singer, while grabbing herself during her ubers in a manner more like the animated Jessica Rabbit (of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit") than Mae West. Unlike her obvious inspiration, Michelle Pfeiffer in "The Fabulous Baker Boys", Basinger fails to integrate the singing stunt organically into her character. Stuck with the role of a handsome cad, Baldwin mugs and poses in embarrassing fashion, resembling his recent "Saturday Night Live" hosting assignments. Nearly every laugh here is achieved by Fisher Stevens, given the brightest lines in Baldwin's circle of male kibitzers.

Casting ploy of having Assante and Robert Loggia portray, respectively, stereotype Jewish gangster and studio chief instead of Italians will give little solace to groups unhappy with the portrayal of Italian Americans on screen.

This is probably one of the best romantic-comedy-drama movies I have ever seen. Sure, 'My Best Friend's Wedding' was good, too, but 'The Marrying Man' was great without all of the publicity. Alec Baldwin gives a radiant performance from slick, rich, toothpaste company heir that dates a young Elisabeth Shue to a slick, rich, toothpaste company heir that dates lounge singer (and future wife, both in the movie and outside) Kim Basinger to a bum who marries the same lady four times, hence the title. At times, I did get a little bored, but after I watched it for the second time, I saw things I didn't see the first time. This movie is a hidden gem for the acquired taste. Although I wouldn't recommend it for little kids or people who get bored with movies during the first ten minutes, it was a really great movie.

This movie is a great a movie, especially when you don't know what the crap it's about before you watch it. I really liked this movie because it really gets you feeling as if you've been in a love hate relationship for three years when all you've been doing is watching a movie for two hours. And these two actors are great, the fact that they liked each other in real life adds to the passion they are supposed to feel.

I'm tired of watching movies where people get divorced that seem so perfect for each other and in the back of your mind you think they should get back with each other, but in the occasion they do get back together, it suddenly seems like the problems they had befor disappeares, that usually makes it unrealistic. Thats why this movie is perfect, you want them to get together, which they do, and they still address the problems from before making this a superb movie. Since in my opinion Notting Hill his the best romantic comedy to ever be made and since this movie is only one notch bellow that that makes this a good movie. Maybe the reason I also liked this movie is because it mostly takes place in California which is where I live and love. But even if I lived in Australia I would still like this movie.