Conceived in the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdown in Spring 2020, Sam Levison’s Malcolm and Marie builds its narrative upon the relationship of a director (John David Washington) and his girlfriend (Zendaya) after the premiere of his directorial debut. Filmed all in one modern, spacious house in L.A., their relationship begins to unravel as they decompress from the event.
Technically, the film is quite excellent. Marcell Rev’s 35 mm black-and-white photography strikes echoes of Cassavettes’ intimate dramas from the 60s. Supplemented with a very quiet, yet provocative score brings out the “mood” of each frame. Sound design and editing are all quite solid. The film’s biggest merits and flaws can be found in the performances and writing.
Almost unarguably, the best element of the film is the two performances by Washington and Zendaya. Given the precedent of public health guidelines last summer, expanding the scale of the film is nearly impossible. As such, Levinson resorts to pen and paper to take us through the emotional roller coast of Malcolm and Marie’s relationship. Because both Zendaya and Levinson have a previous working relationship (HBO’s Euphoria), it’s no surprise that they created the characters in close collaboration with one another.
The result is monologues. Lots of monologues. Each character takes turns going round-for-round in beating each other to a pulp by exposing the other’s flaws. At one point, Malcolm even hints at the fights merely being exercises of hurting each other as a form of catharsis. But it becomes redundant at a point. Monologue after monologue leaves no room for variation: something needed to keep audience engagement.
More troublesome, however, is the fact that the character’s motivations become easily too muddled in the words and lines each character says. In the beginning, the audience immediately understands the circumstances of the situation, what each character wants, etc. After a certain point of arguing, it should stop, right? It feels too long. Perhaps that is the point. It could be highlighting the emotional repression each character feels has been inflicted upon by the other. Its meandering nature could be intended to capture the accurate feeling of having profound conversations late at night, when all parties concerned simply want to sleep, but can’t because their thoughts are just lost in the moment.
Indeed, if this film is anything, it may be a movie for the moment right now. Made, of course, by its circumstances. But also reflecting it. Before this pandemic, it was easy for us to take for granted the world around us. Our connection with other people could often be dismissed for the bigger issues of the world, like politics or creating art. But like Malcolm and Marie, being locked into one room makes us introspect. It forces us to look at each other, in the present, and come to terms with the actions we have taken to get to this point in time. That is where Malcolm and Marie will find it’s home. People will not remember this film because it belongs in the National Film Registry. But because of its central relationship which makes this film tick. Hopefully, we can all look at it with nostalgia in some time.
3.5/5 STARS