Film Review: Malcolm & Marie (Trigger Warning)
Zendaya and John David Washington portray a toxic couple finally speaking on their differences.
This Morning, I decided to check out Malcolm and Marie, a 2021 American black-and-white romantic drama film written and directed by Sam Levinson. The film stars John David Washington(Malcolm) and Zendaya(Marie) as the title characters, a director and his girlfriend, whose relationship is tested, on the night of his latest film’s premiere. Both stars helped produce the film.
While this film is realistic and brutally honest, I must also give a trigger warning for anyone who has been in an abusive relationship of any kind. I was excited to watch because I have always been a fan of both characters, and I love their work. The film is a little under two hours long and takes place at their beautifully landscaped and decorated home with massive windows (somewhere in the middle of nowhere), which reminded me of the revamped homes you see on HGTV.
I haven’t watched Levinson’s previous screenplays, Assassination Nation or Euphoria (which starred Zendaya). However, both were said to be about troublesome teens who lacked parental support (one for which Zendaya received a hard-earned Emmy for).
“Each of these stories exudes a vapid sort of timeliness and urgency addressing hot-button issues of the day, screaming at the audience through provocation and “edginess” without saying much at all”. -Aisha Harris, NPR
Malcolm & Marie, filmed during Quarantine, first premiered virtually Fall 2020 at Toronto’s Film Festival. The story begins after Malcolm’s potentially life-changing film premiere, where he forgets to thank Marie, which Levinson has said is based on an experience with his wife after a similar situation.
Though both parties had some harsh words to share, Washington’s character took the cake when it comes to insensitivity. Not only did he forget to thank his partner, but he also verbally abused her for about half of the film. Zendaya power-housed this film, and I say that because often it’s a lot harder being the quiet one who isn’t blowing up.
Both actors are not only magically-delicious looking but also talented people who dive into whatever role given. There were times in the film where its’ obvious Levinson was behind, including the boxed mac-and-cheese that Marie makes for Malcolm. Not only did it look like something black women would probably never make, but I also cringed at the 5-minute rant surrounding the meal, especially the line: “if you’re gonna treat me like an insane person and call me crazy, the least you could do is do it without casually eating mac-and-cheese”.
Malcolm’s biggest complaint is being boxed as a black filmmaker, and the fact that his film will be viewed as “political” because of his race. This isn’t a unique quality portrayed onto black characters, the character Sam Cooke in the film One Night In Miami goes through a similar challenge. However, by the end, he makes more meaningful music that almost directly connects to him supporting the movement of Malcolm X. I honestly would rather hear and discuss issues like this from solely the black community. Both One Night in Miami and this flick probably had a majority non-black crew behind the scenes, which invalidates much of the messages regarding race in my eyes.
Ode To Reviewers and Critics
The irony of writing this review is one major scene, which includes Malcolm reading a film-review and ranting about the “white lady from L.A. Times”. Which is potentially a jab at the group of grouchy critics who haven’t been too nice in their Levinson reviews.
The movie centers around the film industry, featuring a film-maker and an aspiring actress. A lot of topics are covered here outside of critics, like ass-kissing to please the press and the many metrics that fall into the industry. A big topic is drug-addiction or recovery, as Marie is a recovering addict in which Malcolm wrote the film. (The film inside the film).
One of the biggest shortcomings, as critics have put it, is that the characters feel more like mouthpieces, and that 105 minutes wasn’t long enough to fully convey the message. It’s important to note that while Zendaya and Washington had creative input, this script was written by a white man.
This fact puts the movie into perspective because it’s vital to remember whose brain, and story, it all stemmed from. As one review puts it: two characters rendered awkwardly as vessels for a director’s odd hang-ups about his own identity and craft.
Final Thoughts
I encourage people to watch this film. Some scenes are a bit shaky in feeling, but overall the depth and reality that it showcases about toxic relationships is my favorite part. The passion between the two is felt and the characters are brought to life in the worst but best ways.
I believe any role that makes me almost hate the actor, because they played a jerk so well, is a role well-played. This movie shows the rollercoaster of emotions that comes from relationships at times. The scenes portray just how hard it can be to walk away from something that you have a strong past with.
I enjoy the fact that they are black characters, who discuss issues outside of race, mainly because of who wrote it. Also, that the film is black and white, which is unique compared to the previously released handful of movies. You can watch it now in theaters or on Netflix.
