Originally published on F*** Magazine
Director: Tarek Boudali
Cast: Tarek Boudali, Phillippe Lacheau, Charlotte Gabris, Julien Arruti, Andy Raconte
Genre: Comedy
Run Time: 1h 32min
Opens: 28 December 2017
Rating: M18 (Sexual References)
My personal rating: 
On the surface, Marry Me, Dude seems to be a comedy about sexuality, specifically same-sex relationships. But deep down, it’s more of a critique of how ignorant most people are about gay men. This film is a close imitation to I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, though it has arguably a lot better jokes and gags that tickle you until you’re gasping for air.
Behind the gags and goofing around, the story is mildly amusing at best and heavily recycled at worst. We follow an aspiring Moroccan architect, Yassine (Tarek Boudali), who travels to France for a university degree with his family’s life savings and hopefully, graduate and fulfil his dream.
He falls in love with a plus-size local, Claire (Youtube star and model Andy Raconte), and seems determined to spend his life with her. Unfortunately, Yassine misses his final exams after getting dead drunk the night before and is forced to leave France. Overwhelmed with shame, he stops contacting Claire without any explanation and works illegally at construction sites to send money back home.
When Yassine gets a job offer from an old schoolmate, Stan (David Marsais), he decides to marry his neighbour and good friend, Fred (Phillippe Lacheau). What follows is the duo’s hilarious struggle to avoid detection from a marriage fraud inspector, Dussart (Philippe Duquesne), along with the help of Fred’s live-in girlfriend, Lisa (Charlotte Gabris).
Marry Me, Dude has several plot holes that the average moviegoer can oversee but it’s hard to deny the mediocre narrative. It feels like a bunch of recycled clichéd scenes, albeit the silly yet entertaining gags. It’s after all, Boudali’s directorial debut and he co-writes the screenplay with three other writers.
Nevertheless, we can’t ignore the chemistry and top-notch performances of not just Boudali and his partner-in-crime, Lacheau, but also the robust supporting cast. Everyone delivered convincing and humorous performances, making up for the substandard plot.
Although long-time partner Julien Arruti, who plays blind dog-lover and the lead duo’s neighbour, has limited screen time, he makes the best out of every second he’s on and tickles you with near flawless execution of his lines and role.
Yes, much of the humour in Marry Me, Dude can be offensive and insensitive. However, the film is more concerned with the common stereotypes in the society than anything else. If you can look beyond the homophobic elements of this film, you might enjoy the jokes and utter silliness of Boudali, Lacheau, and their fantastic sidekicks.
Summary: A French copy of Chuck & Larry that can be both very offensive and hilarious, depending on whether you dig over-the-top gags that are more of critiques of stereotypes than anything else.
