Mark, Mary, + Some Other People (2021 Tribeca Film Festival); Grade: D-
Strictly Films welcomes you back to more coverage of this year's 2021 Tribeca Film Festival! Our next film on the block: Mark, Mary, + Some Other People.
Mark, Mary, + Some Other People tells a story about a married couple Mark (Ben Rosenfield) and Mary (Hayley Law), living a chill life together. Mary learns about an app called Crush’d from her band mates, as she's heard everyone is on it including celebrities. Mary is kind of jealous her band mates are on the app, as Mary a married woman can not do such a thing. However Mary has come across an idea, that she insists on having an open marriage with Mark, as they can be free to sleep with whomever they want. Mark strongly hates the idea, but from a magical spell called Stupidity... Mark caves into the idea.
The thing about Mark, Mary, + Some Other People is the film is actually accurate to how relationships are in today's culture. We've come to see more and more couples being in open relationships, as staying fulling commitment to your significant other is too much to ask for, as some couples are actually ok with this idea. I mean I see it all the time on dating apps in women’s bios, so if you're wondering if this is only possible in a movie... Well you're wrong, this happens in real life as you see more and more people staying far away from relationships due to the fact it's a utter waste of time. I mean my intentions in having a relationship is to be committed to someone and build a future with that person, that's the moral purpose in being in a relationship. So if you're wondering why people don't care to be with someone, this film pretty much speaks for itself.
The one lone thing I liked about Mark, Mary, + Some Other People is the graphic effects, like those sequences with the title fonts and colors we're actually extremely fun and is easily the best thing about this entire film.
Mark, Mary, + Some Other People does compare to the likes of an earlier Owen Wilson film Hall Pass. Hall Pass features a couple married men, whose wives gives them a one week hall pass to go out and have fun being someone else for a change. Hall Pass may not be received well, however I remember it being kind of funny and having some memorable comedic moments as well. Mark, Mary, + Some Other People is different as both married partners partake in being with other people, however I was stunned by how awful this film is by comparison.
As Mary complains and pleads for Mark to go in this whole sleeping around ordeal, Mary's arguments against why Mark is against it was extremely selfish and inconsiderate. Like she tries to justify, by how staying committed to someone in a marriage keep in mind MARRIAGE, is so old news, as he needs to get with the times. The thing is: Why did you get married to Mark then, if you didn't know for sure you want to spend the rest of your life with him and him alone?! You can’t fault Mark for wanting to stay fully committed in his own marriage with you, Mark is staying true to his vows. The only person you can fault is YOURSELF, so don't try to pull some sorry ass excuse on why Mark isn't up to be with other people. If it was in an open relationship then maybe just maybe I could understand, to try and spice things up or maybe in the end learn a valuable lesson, that there is a reason why you're with your significant other in the first place and not with other people. But since it's in a marriage... It's just rather insulting overall by Mary's behalf.
How Mark caved into Mary's idea makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Mark tries and sleep with someone else at a party, as he fails immensely as he becomes extremely emotional. But then a day later, Mark then agrees to Mary's plan... HUH?! I thought that moment right there, would make Mark not only extremely guilty that he had thoughts of being with someone else, but also him being extremely emotional about it as Mary gives him emotional comfort would make the two never attempt such a thing. But the exact opposite happens as I don't really get what's going on in Marks head?! If Mark were to succeed in having sex with someone at that party, then maybe I would understand why he would agree to Mary's idea, because Mark finds sleeping with other people while staying with Mary to be actually enjoyable. But since his first experience was rather terrible... You see what I'm saying?! It makes no logical sense, these two characters are just extremely stupid.
This is supposedly suppose to be a Rom Com and I gotta tell ya: The Com part is horrendous. There was not a single laugh worth given, by the awful humor in this film, I mean jokes in this felt like it was written by a 12 year old Twitter activist... It's a nightmare. It's not the actors fault at all, we do have a couple actors whom have proven to be funny in the past and they couldn't save this terrible comedy material.
A main issue is our main characters themselves. Mary is easily the worst character in the entire film hands down. Not only is she a self centered selfish person, but the way this person communicates drove me nuts. Like Mary doesn't talk like a regular normal human being, she talks in lectures that are extremely unnecessary and just annoying. Like there was a moment where Mark tells Mary the name of his fathers invention, which you spit in some container and it tells you if you're pregnant or not. Instead of being wowed that you not longer need to pee on a stick and having your hands covered with a germ invested stick, this woman cries about the name of the product because it doesn't align with her views... OH WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP! There are several moments just like that, where even if you agree or disagree with her, there's no moral purpose in why it would be necessary to speak on it, it's just obnoxious lectures. Mark at times can be reasoned with, sure he's stupid at times but at least he felt like a person. However him staying with Mary can make you question why should he be with this woman?! She's inconsiderate and selfish, like I couldn't handle it and Mark shouldn't put up with it either. But Mark slowly becomes more unlikable in the third act, as how he's handling a situation felt extremely childish. It's understandable to panic, but it's one thing to be a complete child as Mark is surely that.
Mark, Mary, + Some Other People was honestly an infuriating Rom Com, that can perhaps be one of the dullest comedies I've seen in quite some time.
Overall, Mark, Mary, + Some Other People is atrocious. I don't recommend this film at all, now I'm going to take some time to not invest my time in relationships for awhile... I was born in the wrong era man, this generation SUCKS! -Mitch Smietana