Character Actor Keir O’Donnell (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 2014, American Sniper 2014) takes on the classic film noir in his directorial feature debut Marmalade.
Set for release through Brainstorm Media in theaters and On Demand February 9, 2024, Marmalade was also written by O’Donnell and stars Joe Keery (Stranger Things series, Free Guy 2021) as Baron. Recently incarcerated, young Baron is the picture of naivety as he meets his new cellmate Otis (Aldis Hodge: Hidden Figures 2016, The Invisible Man 2020). World weary Otis boasts that he has escaped from many a jail before, and it is only a matter of time before he absconds from this one too. Hearing his cellmate’s claims, Baron appeals to Otis to help him break out too so that he can be reunited with his girlfriend Marmalade (Camila Morrone: Never Goin’ Back 2018, Daisy Jones and the Six 2023). Otis is unconvinced and so Baron decides that Otis needs to hear his story, and in particular how he came to meet the eponymous Marmalade.
Whilst O’Donnell adopts many of the classic film noir tropes such as flashbacks, a narrator and the femme fatale to name but a few, Marmalade adds its own modern twists. Firstly, gone are the stark and mysterious black and white visuals and instead the film is a bright pop of primary colors. The color palette works really well, and Marmalade is visually engaging throughout.
Another one of the film’s most engaging elements are the performances; and in particular Keery puts in a great performance as Baron. His dulcet tones narrate the film, and the audience is on his side from the start. He brings to mind an almost Forrest Gump country boy type character and his story is one that the audience wants to hear more of. Hodge and Morrone are also great value as Otis and Marmalade respectively, and overall the characters are extremely watchable.
However, where Marmalade might prove slightly more divisive is in its moments where it begins to push believability. The story has its fair share of twists and turns and whilst for many those twists and turns will only add to the fun, for the others Marmalade’s convolutions and surprises might begin to stretch credulity. It all very much depends on the audiences’ tolerance for what came before and how invested they are in the characters and their fortunes.
Truth be told though, Marmalade is not to be taken too seriously and watches best as a splash of fun with some great characters and performances. Overall, O’Donnell’s directorial debut is strong and promises good things for the actor turned director moving forward. That is why Cryptic Rock gives Marmalade 4 out of 5 stars.
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