Riot’s Movie Review Series: Malcolm and Marie
Gritty, passionate, and intense are all words that could be used to describe Sam Levinson’s new film, Malcolm and Marie. Unfortunately, the negative connotations of each descriptor take precedent when describing the hour and forty-six minute look into a singular, dysfunctional relationship. The movie follows the titular Malcolm (John David Washington) and Marie (Zendaya) around their modern, temporary home after returning late at night from Malcolm’s movie premiere. What follows is a long string of arguments, brief make-ups, reflections on Hollywood’s priorities and yet even more arguments that inevitably stifle two fantastic performances under an avalanche of unexplained meanings. The arguably purposeful chaotic nature of the couple’s disputes leave the audience questioning what really is the true purpose behind the film.
Since the entire film’s “events” all happen in the course of a single night, it would serve no purpose to do an extended synopsis here. Taking a page from a more critically acclaimed predecessor, (Marriage Story) Malcolm and Marie provides an honest and sometimes graphic look into a relationship that bleeds dysfunction from the starting gun. Riding the initial high of what seemed to be a successful movie premiere, the audience watches the pair devolve into chaos as the night progresses. Eventually, we come to find out that Malcolm’s movie was directly influenced by Marie’s life story as a recovering drug addict and the resentment she experiences for not being thanked for her inspiration is the source behind the night-long argument. Disregarding what seems like sound advice from Marie at the start of the film (simply to eat and go to bed) the pair opt instead to vocalize increasingly cutting arguments about each other’s personal character and half of the movie is spent identifying the pathologies that motivate each individual, highlighting the unhealthy co-dependency that defines their relationship.
Shoehorned in with the problems that Malcolm and Marie have though, is this strange pseudo-ironic observation on the pitfalls of Hollywood’s battle with artistic expression. For Malcolm especially, race becomes a big factor in this and how it affects his response to criticism. The formula of using actors to make commentaries about acting or about Hollywood isn’t new, but what makes Malcolm’s (likely too long) monologues strange is the idea of having a fictional film director go on furious, extended tirades about a culture that Hollywood itself has fostered. The moments where Malcolm (and sometimes Marie) openly mock the frivolity of the Hollywood machine and its supposed stifling of artistic expression therefore comes off as disingenuous, self-deprecating, and silly. Marie, for example, spends time berating Malcolm for allowing the actress in his film to go nude, which she believes detracts from its purpose and depth of meaning. Meanwhile, audiences will be confused as to why Levinson has chosen to have Zendaya barely clothed for almost the entirety of the film. The commentary therefore borders on hypocrisy and Malcolm’s rants, interspersed between the couple’s personal arguments, inevitably stifle character development, complicating any concise message behind why they are actually so unhappy. Coupled with brief moments in which the pair “lovingly” engage with each other (these moments are almost entirely sexual in nature), the hot/cold, 0-60 disputes make whatever emotions the viewer has towards the two muddled and incomprehensible.
With a limited cast and crew, filming under the oppression of Covid-19, Levinson accomplishes a lot with how little was available. The framing and perspectives of each shot (complicated by being completely in black and white) feel purposeful and serve the intensity of each scene. Generationally, the soundtrack was a little all over the place, but the music consistently fit each scenario and at times helped reflect the inner turmoil of the characters without having any direct dialogue. The performances of the two leads have rocky starts but consistently build as the film progresses. Malcolm’s rants about Hollywood and film critics feel too emotional and forced at times, which could be explained away by the idea that the character is likely drunk but then fails to make sense considering how eloquent he is during his tirades. His quiet moments of reflection after Marie reveals uncomfortable aspects of his character are where the actor truly shines though. A standout moment for Marie comes late in the film, where she pretends to have relapsed into her drug-addict former self, only to reveal that she was faking it for the sake of proving a point. The vulnerability or moments of outright despondency that Marie shows throughout also show a multifaceted performance that the audience wants to know more about. After an hour and forty minutes though, we are somehow left feeling like the surface has merely been scratched.
Bottom line, the main reason to watch Malcolm and Marie is to see the strong performances of John David Washington and Zendaya. But much like my previous review (The Little Things), strong performances weren’t enough to plug some of the holes of the film. While there was some character development, there definitely wasn’t enough to solidify the audiences' connection to the couple. Maybe some of that depth could have been explored if the commentary on Hollywood was taken out. Or maybe the couple’s issues should have been shaved instead to further explore the Hollywood machine’s crippling of artistic expression for stupid, ideologic reasons. It could be argued that the two storylines were supposed to allude to deeper meanings within eachother, but it certainly didn’t feel that way. Going against the grain of typical wedding day advice, I have jokingly made the argument that couples should go to sleep angry, similar to advice from one Ted Mosby. This film essentially confirms that advice. The counter-argument is obviously that these are problems that couples should actually deal with, but if anyone watching Malcolm and Marie feels like what they did was healthy dialogue in any sense, they are gravely mistaken. To that point, I question the reasoning behind releasing a nearly two-hour film about a highly dysfunctional relationship during a time in which multitudes of people are currently trapped at home, mired in their own dysfunction due to the pandemic. Clarity of purpose is truly the downfall of the film, one that I think required little to solidify. If Levinson simply wanted to remind people of how exhausting arguing with your significant other is, he succeeded. But who wants to be reminded of that?
Riot’s Rating: 5/10: I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend this movie to friends/family. I could see it being useful for a couples/marriage therapist to show their clients what not to do.
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