A man who believes it is his time to get married gets his proposal refused by his partner of 15 years. Following this rejection, he decides to go do a road trip, go to Vegas, and live out his dream of getting married.
Written by David Matamoros and Xènia Puiggrós with screenplay collaborators Mònica Cambra, Ariadna Fortuny, Lucia Herrera, Claudia Garcia, and Clara Hernández which could have led to yet another case of “too many cooks” but the script works well here. Of course, some of the story aspects are predictable as can be but such is the world of romantic comedies where predictability is par for the course and even comforting to some. The direction here is handled by David Matamoros who does well with it, bringing the comedy aspects to life and allowing some moments to be sad and even a bit dark here and there.
The cast here is what sells the film as they are fantastic. While the film is a bit predictable, the cast makes it more than that, they make it their own and make the whole so much more than its parts. Lead actor Raúl Tejón plays wedding-obsessed David with an innocence almost, mixed with bad ideas of course, and a bundle of vulnerabilities once he lets people into what is going on with him. His work here brings the viewer in and gives the film its energy. Joining him in Vegas is Raúl Fernández de Pablo as Esteban, playing his part with charm in a way that feels completely natural. His work here balances out that of Tejón, showing sweetness, care, and a sense of adventure that makes his performance one of the more interesting ones in a film with all good performances. Rounding out the main trio, the love triangle of sorts, is Alejandro Nones as Quique, a character that is hard to like and played this way just right by Nones. The supporting cast here does quite well and they bring something to their parts that helps the story advance and the film keep the viewers’ attention. Stealing a few scenes, and almost running away with the whole film, is Sang Min Lee who is fantastic to watch and really funny in her delivery.
The cinematography by Mariano De Rosa works for the film in general but takes some getting used to at the start of the film where they images feel like they may be more meant for a telenovela. Once the feeling passes and the lead ends up in Vegas, the images feel more expansive, and the help keep the viewers involved and interested. The look of the film works in most scenes with the exception of the opening wedding and a few other spots, so the work by De Rosa should not be overly harshly judged here.
Who Wants to Marry an Astronaut? Is a decent romantic comedy that should appeal to fans of the genre. For those not into these types of films, the story here will feel cheesy and predictable and will likely not change their minds on romantic comedies as whole. For those more open to the possibilities here, this film will be easy to watch and enjoy as long as they know what they are getting into.