Marmalade Review: A Bonnie & Clyde Crime Romance That Is As Stylish As It Is Surprising

One of the characters in Marmalade starts a story with the infamous phrase “Once upon a time,” only to be swiftly shut down by his companion. This isn’t a fairytale, and there isn’t time for sentimental wanderings. And yet, Marmalade soon defies expectations, even when you might guess where things are going. Director Keir O’Donnell, who also wrote the script, starts out in a rather conventional place, but lures us into a false sense of security. I thought I had Marmalade all worked out in my head and even found myself relaxing into the predictable series of events before I was forced to sit up and pay closer attention.

Recently incarcerated Baron strikes up a friendship with cellmate Otis, a man with a well-versed history of prison breaks. As the pair hatch an escape plan together, Baron recalls the story of how he met Marmalade, the love of his life.

Pros

• Marmalade has a fun storytelling device that captures our attention
• The film has a great cast who really deliver
• Marmalade is entertaining and engaging

Cons

• The film take a bit to pick up the pace
• The plot comes off as stereotypical at first

It all begins when the dim-witted but kindhearted Baron (Stranger Things‘ Joe Keery) is thrown into jail for robbing a bank. He’s put in alongside experienced criminal Otis (Aldis Hodge), and within mere minutes of being there, Baron is looking for a way out. O’Donnell keeps the specifics of Baron’s situation under wraps at first, instead kicking Marmalade off with a brisk, stylish montage of Baron getting caught and booked. It immediately sets the tone for how this story is going to unravel and gives a peek at O’Donnell’s skill at keeping things moving while remaining engaging.

Marmalade’s Storytelling Device Works Really Well

Baron’s goals are simple: Break out of jail so he can reunite with the spirited and pink-haired Marmalade (Camila Morrone). Prior to Baron’s arrest, the Bonnie and Clyde pair scored a hefty sum from their bank heist, and Baron uses it to convince Otis, already known for breaking out of jail, to help him. Otis insists on hearing the full extent of Baron and Marmalade’s story, thus setting off the tale we’ve waited for. O’Donnell plays with the storytelling device effectively, illustrating the ways speakers sometimes fumble details and are nudged into jumping ahead for the sake of time.

Marmalade Is Further Aided By Excellent Performances

Adopting an earnest Southern accent here, Keery steps away from Steve Harrington’s more confident persona to sink into Baron’s sweetly oblivious demeanor with great success. He notably sports a longer hairstyle that holds great significance to the character, and it only enhances Keery’s transformation. Even though you know that Baron’s actions will lead to him ending up in jail, you can’t help but hope that everything will turn out okay for him. This is especially true when his relationship with Marmalade, which initially starts out as a dream, shows some cracks that become difficult to ignore.

As the eponymous drifter, Morrone walks the line between whimsical and unnerving with ease. When she first meets Baron, she’s almost too good to be true. This is increasingly apparent after suggesting they rob the bank, ostensibly to give him the money he needs to secure his ailing mother’s medication. Marmalade could be a difficult role because of her shifting nature, but Morrone nails it. Hodge initially appears to have little to do beyond react to Baron’s story. However, Marmalade has more in store for him, and Hodge rises to the occasion to give Otis more compelling layers.

Marmalade Starts Off Slow, Then Accelerates

The first portion of the movie focuses squarely on Baron’s account of his relationship with Marmalade, going right up to the infamous robbery that put him in jail. It’s in these beats that it’s easy to assume what O’Donnell has in store. There are red flags in Baron’s whirlwind romance with Marmalade that anyone who has seen a crime movie will recognize, such as the sudden disappearance of Baron’s mom’s pills and Marmalade’s inconsistent behavior.

In that portion, I almost started to write off the movie as a whole. The performances were entertaining, but the plot felt rote. However, it’s then that O’Donnell swerves and turns Marmalade into a twisty cat-and-mouse chase, and it becomes significantly more fun to watch. There’s a good chance some viewers will even be able to see through the coming shocks, but I don’t think that will diminish the satisfaction that comes from the ending, which O’Donnell infuses with both heart and playfulness. Marmalade is one wild ride, as long as you’re willing to stick with it.