Review: ‘Malcolm & Marie’
Euphoria creator Sam Levinson has brought us the first movie to be written, shot and released during the pandemic. Malcolm & Marie, if anything else, proves that artistic expression can be done even in the toughest of times. For this small scale production, Levinson didn’t go too far. He recruited most of his Euphoria crew, from Marcell Rév as cinematographer to Julio Perez as editor, so the two projects share many similar crew members. Surprisingly, this doesn’t result in a complete copy of Euphoria’s aesthetic nor style. This always feels like its very own thing, except for a few inspirations.
One thing I do have to admit I admired is the feeling of the film; just two characters having it out in a big, beautiful house in what I assume is the Californian desert did feel extremely appropriate to the pandemic. Even though the film itself doesn't take place during Covid-19 times, Levinson made the screenplay unfold through a single night, which oddly felt like the moments when a couple finally explodes after spending the last six months stuck with each other. I usually love films set during a day or a very long night; they have a unique quality to them that arises by giving the audience a specific sense of time. But, in Malcolm & Marie, it was often distracting to me because I kept picturing everything as a theatre play. The acting by actor John David Washington (Malcolm) often displayed exaggerated tones and mannerisms that felt deeply emotional but way too theatrical– simply out of place in a film. It’s quite a shame, because Washington delivers some intense monologues about film criticism and how journalists tend to overanalyse for political themes in films directed by black artists. The results come off as exaggerated and even comical.
Meanwhile, the structure flowed in a predictable and repetitive manner. Things were good, then things got tense, then they would have an emotional fight, then they both agreed that everything was good, resulting in a fleeting romantic moment that was completely eviscerated in the coming moments, because a new fight is already brewing between the characters. It didn’t feel like a natural flow to me, and as a result I constantly imagined like I was watching a stage play that would exist in the world of John Cassavetes. Like little segments of their toxic and flawed relationship that would happen in the span of a couple months but done in one night. It also reminded me of the Ingmar Bergman classic, Scenes from a Marriage (1974), but make it a speed run. It just wasn’t natural for a film, and it kept taking me out of the experience. Not to mention that by the middle of the film I already kind of knew what was coming in the next scene.
Zendaya, on the other hand, felt like she was in a different acting note than Washington. I could relate to her character much more, as she gave Marie a more subtle and contained portrayal, much more appropriate for the tone of the film. It was way too coincidental that her character shared many similarities with Euphoria’s main character, Rue, also played by her. Marie is a young drug addict who’s been clean for a while but is still dealing with mental health issues. Thankfully the similarities end there, and Zendaya does actually make sure to make Marie feel like a very different character. At times it felt like her character revolved around her husband’s, given that all problems arise because of something he did or didn’t do. After all, the film is about the specific conflicts that arise after the night of the successful premiere of Malcolm’s new film, “Imani”. But then again, that film is described to be based loosely on Marie’s life as a drug addict, so I guess it all goes around in a circle. The fact remains that Zendaya gave a great performance that had me actually feeling something.
Marcell Rév does an amazing job at exploiting the limited setting. You might think, how many ways are there to frame two characters in the same house for one hour and forty minutes? I assure you they are endless. I don’t know if there was any necessity for this to be shot in black and white, though. I get that it looks pretty, but sometimes you just don’t need it. It makes it seem a bit pretentious, specially when Malcolm is a filmmaker who happens to criticize the way film journalists use so many fancy words in their reviews, yet he talks that same way. I almost usually love films that are in black and white, and this one actually looks pretty good most of the time, but I do wonder how it would have looked in color. I also have to shoutout the lighting department here because they carry most of the film’s look and feel.
Malcolm & Marie, like its title declares, revolves entirely around these two characters. As I saw it, no one is given more depth or importance than the other. I found it pretty well handled in terms of representation on the screen. Malcolm is a successful director who has just gotten his big moment, and Marie, a former actress struggling with her past mistakes, has a unique view on the situation, as well as regrets, qualities and traits of her own that make her an interesting character to watch unfold. These aren’t character studies in any way, but it’s nice to see black people portrayed as artists more often. It does border onto the shallow side for brief moments, but not enough for it to be atrocious. It’s clear that Levinson’s intentions were, and I can appreciate that.
I don’t know if it was the speed at which the film was written, filmed and edited, but Malcolm & Marie starts with a promising concept that falls flat by the end. Victim to its own repetitiveness, exaggeration and sometimes pretentiousness, we are left with a beautiful looking film that feels slightly staged and uneasy.
