Review by Robert O'Neill
By: Robert O'Neill
In-House Review - Oct 14 2011
Though they never mention "autism" or "Asperger's" in I Want to Get Married, it often seems like that is what lead actor (and ubiquitous gay-movie heartthrob) Matthew Montgomery is aiming for with his character. Montgomery plays Paul, a socially-awkw...
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Though they never mention "autism" or "Asperger's" in I Want to Get Married, it often seems like that is what lead actor (and ubiquitous gay-movie heartthrob) Matthew Montgomery is aiming for with his character. Montgomery plays Paul, a socially-awkward advertising executive who has been longing for love and committment, but hasn't found anyone willing to overlook his distracting nervous ticks. This is a far cry from some of Montgomery's best-known romantic roles - and even if it isn't always believable (he's still clearly a hunk), his attempt at extreme geekery gets an "A" for effort.
Paul may be an introvert, but he's not without friends and family who support him - he has a lot of friends, actually, and they're very excited about setting him up with eligible guys and coaching him in the ways of dating. Their advice, however, doesn't always provide the best results - Paul goes through a series of hellish dates throughout the film. When he finally gets to know a cute acquaintance named Jim (Peter Stickles) a little better, however, he realizes that he may have just found a perfect match. Marriage suddenly seems like a future possibility, but it's just before the 2008 election day and Proposition 8 is looming right around the corner.
A smart, funny romantic comedy with a socio-political message intact, I Want to Get Married is like a gay version of The 40-Year-Old Virgin that benefits greatly from warm supportive performances. Ashleigh Sumner and Emrhys Cooper are particularly charming as Paul's closest friends and female impersonator Matthew Martin (who you may recognize from his brilliant and hysterically funny performance in Baby Jane? - also from director William Clift) is downright regal as Miss Piggy B, a lounge singer who coaches Paul's mother (Jane Wiedlin) through some of her high-strung neuroses.
Review by Jack
By: Jack
This without a doubt one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Whoever made this movie should think about a new career. What a waste of money.......
Review by Darren
By: Darren
This is the worst film Matthew Montgomery has ever been in. His acting is marginal in this film, normally a great actor, and he did his best with this terrible script. I didn't make it through the whole movie. Paid to watch on demand, really want a r...
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This is the worst film Matthew Montgomery has ever been in. His acting is marginal in this film, normally a great actor, and he did his best with this terrible script. I didn't make it through the whole movie. Paid to watch on demand, really want a refund. TERRIBLE!!!!!
Review by pissed off
By: pissed off
tla 3 stars! did you see the movie ? or just phone in your review. matthew is known for better movies, and lean his name so william cliff could get this crap made. if i new mr cliff's address i would mail my copy back to him. a note with it saying ju...
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tla 3 stars! did you see the movie ? or just phone in your review. matthew is known for better movies, and lean his name so william cliff could get this crap made. if i new mr cliff's address i would mail my copy back to him. a note with it saying just think of my money as charity but that 115 min i will never get back.
Review by ccm
By: ccm
Did you ever feel like slapping a person with an extreme physical deformity. Of course not, that would be unacceptable. But that thought kept occuring to me during the 10 minutes that I gave to this movie. Get a grip, Matthew. Whoever lead you in...
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Did you ever feel like slapping a person with an extreme physical deformity. Of course not, that would be unacceptable. But that thought kept occuring to me during the 10 minutes that I gave to this movie. Get a grip, Matthew. Whoever lead you in this direction is seriously toying with your career. Eccept for my attraction to Peter Stickles this film would have landed in the wastebacket long ago. It will be awhile before I can get myself to take a chance on another Matthew Montgomery film. Really bad acting and a total waste of money!!!!!
Review by LadyFaye
By: LadyFaye
I am sorry Matthew, but this was not a great movie. I have loved Matthew Montgomery's movies, all of them but one. I want to get married was... I can't find the words. The nerdy thing was over-acted, The parents were the funniest thing in the movi...
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I am sorry Matthew, but this was not a great movie. I have loved Matthew Montgomery's movies, all of them but one. I want to get married was... I can't find the words. The nerdy thing was over-acted, The parents were the funniest thing in the movie and even that didn't do it for me. This is a 0 star for me, Ouch!
Review by Mr. Bob
By: Mr. Bob
Okay. I'm used to "gay rom-com's" being a little uneven. Usually there is some combination of poor acting, sound, cinematography, directing and scriptwriting. Often in the end, these drawbacks become a little easier to handle because the story tak...
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Okay. I'm used to "gay rom-com's" being a little uneven. Usually there is some combination of poor acting, sound, cinematography, directing and scriptwriting. Often in the end, these drawbacks become a little easier to handle because the story takes us somewhere between reality and fantasy, as we get to get lost in the romance of it all.
Well, sorry, but "I Want to Get Married" doesn't make it there. The first, and most jarring aspect, is Matthew Montgomery's attempt at "nerd". Now, I've seen nerds before. As a matter of fact, some of my best friends are nerds. But seriously, what is he trying for with the odd facial expressions, mumbling of lines and twitching of body parts? I'm enjoyed Mr. Montgomery's performances in the past, but, yikes, this one is off the charts awful. Not sure what William Clift was going for here, but it was not cute or endearing.
My favorite actor in the movie is actually Peter Stickles. Mr. Stickles has never been a favorite of mine - usually he's a little one note. But in the much too brief screen time he's given in the this movie, he actually makes the whole mess watchable. Also, it was wonderful to see Jane Wiedlin on screen. She is a delight whatever she's doing - singing, acting, playing a guitar! I'll watch her in anything.
So, if you're a rom com fan, you can probably miss this one - or just rent it. I find it unlikely you'll want to watch it more than once.
Review by just a reviewer
By: just a reviewer
....Cause this just ain't what you think it's gonna be.
(( This is a HALF-STAR Rating ))
So, let me be honest with you right up front here. I have NEVER been a great fan of Matthew Montgomery. And despite 15 film roles, for me ...
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....Cause this just ain't what you think it's gonna be.
(( This is a HALF-STAR Rating ))
So, let me be honest with you right up front here. I have NEVER been a great fan of Matthew Montgomery. And despite 15 film roles, for me he has never improved past the point of being an "average" actor. That, and his appearance, as much as anything. There has always been
something a little bit "Ratso Rizzo" (for want of a kinder description) about his facial characteristics. So there....now you know how shallow I am.
At last....let's briefly get to the movie, itself (which I've tried to watch twice). And by the way, it is a film story of several subplots; in no way does it particularly concentrate on Matthew's character and his idiotic attempts to land the cute man of the cover. Playing an extremely unattractive Super-Geek, the best that Montgomery can bring to the role is a
clinching...compressing...contortion of his lips and mouth (and, of course, the supposed-to-be nerdish, black frame glasses). The mouth
exercising QUICKLY gets very old....at the same time making it quite difficult to understand our lead. Worse, this is compounded by one of
the most terribly recorded soundtracks I have heard in years. I cannot say enough bad about the original sound-man's work on this film....BUT,
Breaking Glass features should be especially ashamed to have their name attached to such a poor sound release.
Finally, it may interest you that, out of the film's near 120 minute running time, Matthew and his bride-to-be (or is it the other way around) are TOGETHER for no more than an amazing 20 minutes of screen time. Leaves a lot to be gotten done in those oh-so-interesting
subplots.
My very best advice for you: BUY SOMETHING ELSE.
Review by Jim Levell
By: Jim Levell
A bit of a rough start with Montgomery overdoing the part of the nerd, but ultimately the film settles into an excellent story with fine acting and endearing characters. Good laughs, some angst, and a bittersweet but optimistic ending. It's worth a l...
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A bit of a rough start with Montgomery overdoing the part of the nerd, but ultimately the film settles into an excellent story with fine acting and endearing characters. Good laughs, some angst, and a bittersweet but optimistic ending. It's worth a look.
Review by Amos Lassen
By: Amos Lassen
If you follow gay movies at all then you know who Matthew Montgomery is. We have seen him in so many different movies playing many different roles ("Redwoods", "Socket", "Pornography", "Finding Mr. Wright", "Flight of the Cardinal", "Role/Play", "Bac...
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If you follow gay movies at all then you know who Matthew Montgomery is. We have seen him in so many different movies playing many different roles ("Redwoods", "Socket", "Pornography", "Finding Mr. Wright", "Flight of the Cardinal", "Role/Play", "Back Soon", "Gone, But Not Forgotten"). When his new movie, "I Want to Get Married" begins, he is a nerd. I had to do a double take and let me say that he is excellent as the socially inept Paul Roll. As a nerd, Paul is loveable and he is successful at everything but finding love. He has many friends that look out for him and let him know how much they care. When the movie opens, we are in his home watching the wedding ceremony of his lesbian best friend who marries her girlfriend. Paul has prepared the catering and let them use his house and we learn the reason the wedding took place when it did was because six days later was Election Day and Proposition 8 is on the ballot.
As he watched the wedding, Paul also realizes that he wants to get married. At work he is dealing with taking on a new client, "The Family", a conglomerate that is anti-gay and very conservative but times are tough. The head of The Family is Deborah Anderson (Miss). She and Paul go at it head to head and we see a different side of Paul. There is also a subplot dealing with his mother and another dealing with his father and found the more I saw of Paul, the more loveable he becomes. Jim (Peter Stickles of "The Lair") also thinks so and the two begin a romance that was actually foreshadowed in the beginning of the film. Writer/Director Billy Clift gives us a movie with a lot going on thereby giving us a lot to enjoy.