Malcolm & Marie

 

Malcolm & Marie is a Netflix produced drama starring Zendaya and John David Washington. When director, Malcom and his girlfriend Marie, come home after a successful movie premier, tensions fly and fights ensue over lingering frustrations that are about to implode.

The movie’s plot was inspired by director Sam Levinson’s fight with his wife after he forgot to thank her during an award ceremony for his hit HBO show Euphoria. I liked the idea of this story line but I do not think there was enough material to warrant an entire movie.

I know that Levinson is a fan of a lot of convoluted dialogue but this was too dialogue heavy. It literally felt like an hour and a half of verbal abuse. I don’t know anyone who could sit and fight for that long at 2am. At a certain point it just seemed unrealistic.

In regard to the cinematic choice, I know that Zendaya stated that the movie was filmed in black and white to give the movie a timeless element and to reclaim a bit of that golden age of Hollywood from the Black perspective but I didn’t get all of that when I saw it. I thought that perhaps it was chosen because the character of Malcolm had an affinity for classic movies, so Levinson chose to film in black and white as an ode to him. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, I wasn’t a huge fan. It’s hard to tell time with a black and white movie and honestly I just prefer the pops and pleasures that color gives on screen.

The only true positives I have for this movie are that Zendaya and John David Washington are true professionals. They really delivered in this film. It’s hard to keep someone engaged in a move that only has two cast members but they were able to do it. Filmed during the COVID lockdown, I think these two really brought their A game. This was by far Zendaya’s most mature role to date and she carried it well. She was the show stopper. She gave a wide range of emotions and I really connected to her heartbreak. John David Washington was a bit of the same for me with just an extra ump of intensity and a sprinkle of comedy. They played well off each other and had a good chemistry. To be honest, I will watch these two in anything, and commit until the end, even if it’s as lackluster as Malcom & Marie.