Hannah Marks is back with her newest film, Mark, Mary & Some Other People, about newlyweds exploring relationships with others.
After reuniting at a convenience story, Mark (Ben Rosenfield) and Mary (Hayley Law) end up getting married. That may be fine and all but early on, they decide to explore “ethical non-monogamy.” Mary is the one that wants to explore an open marriage and surprisingly, Mark is on board with this. Is this the best idea and will they be happier for doing so? I don’t have the answers to that. Will Mark and Mary have regrets about this decision to have sex outside of marriage? Will they learn more about themselves in the process? So many questions to ask! Well, I’ll just let you watch the film and see for yourself. It’s certainly an interesting premise for a comedy.
Mark, Mary & Other People is another solid film from the splendid Hannah Marks. She injects a lot of herself into these two characters and subverts gender clichés in the process. Marks has been a rising store behind the camera for a few years now and and a brilliant writer. Before long, she’ll certainly be a household name if she isn’t already. My only problem with the film comes during the one scene with the repeated use of the derogatory F word when referring to a gay character.
In terms of polyamory relationships on screen, not many of them exist. Two or three stand out in recent years, most of which are smaller indies. If there are any famous people, well, they’re more likely silent about it. It’s not something that they tend to brag about on social media or the red carpet. Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston might just be the biggest name there is. Of course, I wouldn’t know this had it not been for the recent biopic. But I digress. Mark, Mary & Other People may not be about a traditional relationship but there’s certainly comedy to be had along the way.
DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Hannah Marks
CAST: Ben Rosenfield, Hayley Law, Nik Dodani, Odessa A’Zion, Matt Shively, Sofia Bryant, Maggie Wheeler, Joe Lo Truglio, Haley Ramm, with Gillian Jacobs and Lea Thompson
