Customer Reviews

The Marrying Man

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let me start off by saying that my 5-star rating is for Kim Basinger's singing of these fantastic old songs. The DVD itself boasts no real extra features, so it deserves 3 stars at best. Toward the end of the film, I experience a few glitches, but that may simply be with my dvd player--you may not have the same problem with yours.

The film is charming. It is predictable, but still an enjoyable experience, thanks mainly to Kim Basinger. (By the way, I was not a fan of her at all until I saw her in this film.) Her performances of songs like "Let's Do It" and "Honeysuckle Rose" may be considered too sexy by purists, but considering modern sensibilities and the fact that she is supposed to be singing in a Las Vegas club in the fifties (the decade of Marilyn Monroe), I think her approach is perfectly fine. Her "stage presence" during these numbers is scintillating--I would love to see her perform music like this live in concert. The musical arrangements are fantastic also.

Based on a true story, The Marrying Man tells the story of Charlie Pearl (Baldwin) and Vicki Anderson (Basinger), he a rich playboy, she a Vegas lounge singer and girlfriend of gangster Bugsy Siegel. They love, fight, marry. Four times. Funny one-liners, great cast, fantastic songs and an authentic recreation of the glamorous late 1940's, early 1950's era are all propelled by real life husband and wife team Baldwin and Basinger's brilliant screen chemistry. The couple fell in love on the set- and it shows. Their portrayal of a couple whose sizzling heat fuels a love-hate relationship which takes over and nearly destroys their lives is backed up and given light relief by the perfectly chosen comedic supporting cast. Fisher Stevens and Paul Reiser feature as some of Charlie's struggling Hollywood friends, Reiser giving a wry narrative throughout which aids in the films continuity and light tone. Armand Assante, as Bugsy Siegel with an ironic sense of humor, delivers a refreshing and different slant on the usual movie gangsters. Robert Logia is fantastic and funny as the aggressive and egotistical movie studio owner and Elisabeth Shue is terrific as his neurotic and spoiled daughter, engaged to Charlie, but who is no match for sexy songstress Vicki. Basinger who did all of her own singing, gives a knock-out performance as the talented and ambitious singer. Her delivery- sexy, suggestive, vibrant- is perfect. In a sleazy Vegas casino, Charlie and his friends' first sight of her back-lit, curvy figure and the sound of her throbbing voice causes the stuttered and dazed reaction of: "she has great ....... phrasing" to which Reiser's character replies, "Oh yeah, the first thing I noticed when we walked in here was her phrasing". The cast, atmosphere and the on-screen heat with her leading man all make the film an enjoyable whole. But it is Basinger's transformation of Vicki's whole persona and performing style, from initially ambitious, brassy and slightly trashy, to sophisticated, worldly, and mellow in a perfectly honed performance that really helps make the film memorable.

This adaptation of Neil Simon's play will never be a classic film, but if you can get it cheap, I recommend it highly. There are worse romantic comedies you could waste your time on, but this one is nostalgic and genuinely glamourous fun. It's a great escape from all the current situation settings in similar films.

Charlie Pearl (Alec Baldwin), multi-millionaire, is about to marry movie honcho Lou Horner's (Robert Loggia) daughter until his friends take him to Vegas for a bachelor party, and he falls for club singer Vickie Anderson (Kim Basinger), who also happens to be Bugsy Siegel's (Armand Assante) girlfriend. It's a wild ride between a millionaire playboy and a fast nightclub singer that involves 4 marriages and 3 divorces. It won't change your world, but it certainly is fun, the costumes are excellent, and the soundtrack is among my favorites. Check it out.

I watched this film long time ago, while LD still occupied a corner of the rental stores. I love the chemistry Alec and Kim sparks. The acting are convincing while the charater grow old. And the songs which were song by Kim are jsut fabulous !!I can always go back and watch those singing scenes and never get bored. Because not only the songs are catchy by themself, they are also in good hands -- Kim sings so sultryly with Stan Gatz at the saxphone !

And the movie is so funny, that will give you just a very happy mood all day long.

I love this movie, especially the ending when they get married for the I think it was the fourth and final time, makes you wonder why the kept getting divorced when all they did was get re-married. This movie is definetly a must see and must have. You could really see the chemistry between alec and kim in this movie. They are so good together. I hope they get back together in real life, they have true love.

I watched this movie before in my native language and yesterday I watched the American version for the first time. I love the elictricity between Kim and Alec, they look so young and in love! I agree with a previous review that the fact that they fell in love on the set showed and it was beautiful. It is too bad that they could not work it out as a family in real life, but who knows perhaps they will get back together like in the movie : )It is a fun movie to watch and to have in home collection, however, there are scenes with bad language which are not recommended for kids around.

See Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger on screen together for the first time in a comical and heart-warming rendition of the classic boy-meets-girl story - with an enormous twist! The plot is brilliantly funny and the supporting cast includes Paul Reiser. Kim and Alec are superb together - great actors. The Marrying Man is a definite Must See!

this seems like a just a normal dvd, no really features. blu ray not worth the blu ray title.
however if you can get it cheap, or a fan of Kim Basinger or Alec Baldwin, only reason to buy blu ray, better stick to regular DVD.

I had this old favorite on VHS, which is worn out. So I was glad to have it on DVD. If you're a fan of Alec Baldwin and his ex-wife Kim Basinger you'll love this old movie. This is when they were young, open, and fun loving! This movie is about being foolish in lust and love all at the same time!

This is simply a fun movie to watch and it proves that Alec Baldwin is one of the truly underated actors of his generation