Malcolm & Marie- Review

By Nadia Ranaputri

Image source: IMDB

Director: Sam Levinson
Cast: Zendaya, John David Washington

How would I describe this film, exactly? Perhaps a love story that doesn't play it like a love story. Or, a lavish looking film filled with anger, grief, and catastrophic romance; those are probably some of the best suited words to describe Sam Levinson's latest film Malcolm & Marie. After taking on the hit HBO show Euphoria, Levinson teams up once again with Zendaya on a harrowing look into two lovers who are way past the honeymoon phase, and the twists, turns, and revelations that unravel in a single night. 

Malcolm & Marie tells the story of a couple coming home from the premiere of Malcolm's new film. Having just shown his work, Malcolm (John David Washington) is excited and elated about his film. His girlfriend Marie (Zendaya), on the other hand, seems content to listen to his many ramblings (a scene that becomes the centerpiece of a visually gorgeous one shot scene that goes on for almost a good 10 minutes) about film critics, the intention behind his new film, among other things. What ensues after that is a battle of wits, a true testament of their relationship, leaving them to question one another and embark on hours of pent-up resentment. 

Zendaya is especially powerful in this film. Her performance hit all the right notes and left a lasting dent, particularly during an hard-hitting monologue at the climax of the film. Beyond what is unfortunately either an exaggerated or dull script half the time, Zendaya did the best she could, and she absolutely sells the role. From her stoic stance, calmly lighting a cigarrette as Malcolm goes on a rant, to delivering all those years of pent up anger towards her lover, Zendaya was the real star of the film. John David Washington isn't far behind in performance, having already seen the more collected type of characters from BlackkKlansman and Tenet, it's fun to see him branch out in a role like Malcolm. Washington oozes a type of elated strut, going on a roll with a one-shot monologue regarding the film critics that saw his film. It takes a while for Malcolm to really burst out, but when he does, Washington's performance is all the more mesmerizing. Zendaya and Washington's chaotic chemistry is all over the place, in a good way. While I can admit that there are lines that aren't that well delivered, they still brought a lot to the table, and if there's one reason to watch this film, it's for their performance.

Image credit: IndieWire

Another thing that Malcolm & Marie succeeds at is the visuals. Having it in black and white makes it more cinematic and eye-catching. There are plenty of one-shot sequences that add to the authenticity of the scene, making it visually immersive. The steady cam long take scenes give the film a clean and appealing look to it, makes it feel like you're in the house with them. This is going to sound absolutely ridiculous, but I couldn't help but think of the game Facade while watching it. Essentially, you're the bystander stuck in between two people arguing and wondering when you're ever going to get out of it. The difference is that the game allows you to interact with them, but of course, Malcolm & Marie doesn't do that, and you're only resolved to watching them. I told you it would sound crazy, didn't I? That aside, the film is incredibly sleek in its presentation. Director Sam Levinson and cinematographer Marcell Rév really knew how to craft a fine canvas to display their piece. It's quite an impressive result visually for a film shot in the span of only a few weeks. 

So let's address the elephant in the room. Looking past its visuals, it's a film that has a lot to say, and that's where it starts to have its struggles. The conversations it has didn't really have a main point, or even a starting point, everything it wants to convey gets lost in the process. There isn't much of a plot here, which isn't a bad thing in and of itself, plenty of films that follow this approach have proven to still make a statement, even with little to no plot. Steve McQueen's Lovers Rock for instance, managed to create an experience rather than having a central plot. Another example is Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, a film that takes place in the span of a day, and yet, you know the general outline of these characters and can still get what it's trying to say, and it builds up to everything the characters say and do. In Malcolm & Marie, you're bombarded with a lot of things being thrown at the wall and having only a few of them stick. It's an amalgamation of all these contrasting ideals that came out of nowhere, and eventually lead nowhere. There is a debate around whether or not the criticism towards this film is related to Levinson's very direct messages, especially when it comes to critics and film criticism itself, but that isn't an issue for me. In fact, a lot of what Levinson puts in his screenplay is already interesting enough, but the execution of it didn't deliver quite as well as it should have.

That being said, it doesn't truly falter as a whole, I still think it presents an interesting character study for the two leads. It has its complexities, and the film is able to explore some intriguing aspects from the characters. Marie is perhaps the most interesting of the two, having felt belittled by Malcolm (one scene being when he aggressively eats mac and cheese, that's quite a sight to see. "If you're going to treat me like an insane person and call me crazy, the least you could do is do it without eating mac and cheese," as Marie puts it). The film puts the two characters on the spot, ready to sharpen their weapon and battle it out. It attempts to show a grey side between the two of them, both having made good points, but neither being completely innocent in their raging lovers quarrel. While Malcolm seems to be the one at fault here, Marie isn't any better. How it plays out is both a hit and a miss, as Levinson's direction and script goes back and forth in characterization. At times, the dialogue and performances are masterful to the point where it feels genuine, and they feel like real, complex human beings. Then the next, they can come off as caricatures reading words off a script instead of expressing them in a natural way, particularly when it comes to Malcolm. 

Image credit: IMDB

Though it stumbles in the execution, the topics it discusses are no less captivating. For what it's worth, the message and theme that it tries to convey could be something worth discussing. You can at least still get a sense of idea of where it wants to go. In this case, it's the two main leads addressing their gripes with one another. While the dialogue can certainly come off a little too direct at some point, there are scenes where the dialogue does hit in the most graceful way. Most can take Marie's side of the argument, since she's the one that brings most of the film's hard-hitting moments. You can practically see why she is the way she is, and really know her side of the picture. Some of her frustrations towards Malcolm are justifiable, and she rightfully calls him out on his questionable behavior, like using her unnerving past as some form of exploitation, whether it is as a basis for his film, or to further strengthen his side of the argument, even going to the point of gaslighting her. It's an incredibly toxic cycle, but I felt like it was intentional. It is what it is, a destructive relationship on the verge of ending in flames, it doesn't want to glamorize that, rather it touches upon that matter head-on. Though that isn't directly stated, you can get enough evidence of it just from the dialogue alone. 

In some ways, if you're already familiar with Levinson's work, particularly Euphoria, you can get a sense of Levinson's style and how he chooses to portray certain topics. But for what it is, the overall message and ambition behind Malcolm & Marie does elevate the film in a way. It's a film that had so much potential, it had all the right elements to make a creative and meaningful film with plenty of interesting things to say, it just didn't reach that point of being fully formed or well conveyed. It's understandable that the film has its limits, especially given that it takes place in the span of a single night, not to mention that filming took place during the pandemic. There are elements that worked, and there are elements that didn't. Truth be told, in terms of realism and grit, the film nails that aspect, particularly in terms of performance, even though the dialogue says otherwise. Film-wise, it fails to weave its ideas together cohesively, but to look at it as an experience, ala Lovers Rock, it's an exhausting yet still gripping piece. The film is absolutely raw, with both characters placed on the pedestal to be unraveled, leaving no stone un-turned. As a whole, Malcolm & Marie may have its faults, but it also has its moments that give it a silver lining. 

Image source: IMDB

Stars: 3/5

Malcolm & Marie is available to watch on Netflix