Director: Sam Levinson
Where Available: Netflix
Rating:
If Malcolm & Marie were a play, theatre students would abuse these monologues until they become cliche.
I was very excited about this release for four reasons: 1) it was filmed in two weeks during the pandemic, 2) I have only seen John David Washington in Tenet, and there was too much action going on for me to focus on his acting, 3) Zendaya is everything to me, and this is her first title role, and 4) Sam Levinson directed Euphoria, starring Zendaya, and I trust him 100%. This project came about when Zendaya asked Levinson to write something that would keep the crew of Euphoria busy as filming for Season 2 was pushed back. It is the first post-pandemic film to wrap, and not one person got sick!
As Malcolm and Marie return home from Malcolm's movie premiere, smoldering tensions and painful revelations push them towards a romantic reckoning.
The script for this movie, in my opinion, is absolutely stunning. Everything that happens in these 106 minutes plays out in real-time, so there is not one moment of this long-running argument that you do not see. The monologues in this movie are crafted so beautifully. Now, I understand what some critics and reviewers mean when they say it didn't feel like a real argument. The script was filled with monologues, not fights. The rhythm of a real fight was not there, but the writing was stunning nonetheless.
While Malcolm & Marie's love story definitely isn't black and white, the movie itself is. Zendaya said in an interview that filming in 35mm black and white "adds a timelessness to it. There was a thought about reclaiming the narrative of black and white Hollywood and black actors really having their moment at that time... we weren't as present in the black and white era. [The team wanted to] pay tribute to that era and reclaim that beauty and that elegance with these two black actors."
There are only two actors in this movie: Zendaya and John David Washington. This was GREAT for me personally because we really got to see the raw talent both of these actors have without any surrounding distractions. John David Washington was his best when he was channeling the worst version of Malcolm, a man who wants to take out his insecurities on the people around him. I was extremely impressed by his work and can't wait to see what other movies are in the works from him:) Zendaya. Wow. This is Zendaya's movie. We all know in love our favorite Hollywood actress from her show Euphoria, and just like in that series, in M&M, her quietest moments are her strongest. There is nothing I can say that will explain the depth and detailed work that Zendaya put into this character, so you are just going to have to go and watch the movie for yourself! The chemistry Zendaya and Washington have is INSANE, and this movie would definitely be boring if they didn't. (To all the people who criticize this movie because of the age difference between them, THEY ARE ADULT ACTORS and their personal lives are SEPERATE from their acting ones!)
Overall, this film was a piece of art. Visually, the black and white 35mm allows the audience to focus on nothing else but the acting. Malcolm & Marie is an effective character study of every emotion a person can experience in a relationship. I loved it. My friends loved it. You will love it.
Quotes:
"Are you actually yelling and belittling me from across this house because you are too busy eating mac and cheese?"
"What I’m saying is you spend your entire life catering to the feelings and the whims of literally everyone but me. Agents, producers, crew members, actors, f***ing fictional characters get more respect and empathy from you than I do."
"You’re going to start making fake movies about fake people with fake emotions."
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