Malcolm & Marie (2021): A Quick review.
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| photo credit: Netflix |
Written and directed by Sam Levinson of Euphoria fame, this film follows a heterosexual couple’s arguments after they return home for the night from a movie premiere which the man is responsible for writing and directing.
Filmed totally in black and white, every still in this film literally looks like a work of art, so much that if you find it hard to see films made in black and white, this would be an easy one to sit through as the shots are amazing to look at. High praise goes to the director of photography and the director as well, for their visually outstanding work with the shots.
The chemistry between the titular characters the entire plot revolves around is impeccable and this film is actually proof that John David Washington can act, as opposed to the critical reviews he received for his performance in Christopher Nolan's TENET. I could clearly feel his frustrations, anger, disgust, total admiration and love for his partner onscreen and it was quite cute to see that in expressing his emotions, some of his facial cues are noticeably similar to that of his dad’s, Denzel Washington.
On a lighter note, his beard isn’t doing that much to mask this ‘genetic marker’ should that be the reason why he keeps them. But speaking more seriously, as an aside, I think it is quite harsh and grossly irresponsible that people keep comparing David’s acting skills with that of his father’s, a man with decades of acting experience and hundreds of acting credits to his name. Zendaya, his onscreen partner in the film, proves once more that’s she’s a force to be reckoned with. A lot of people were quite worried about the pairing given the difference in age between both actors and the actress’s youngish looks but if her recent Golden globes win isn’t enough, all of those worries are blown to smithereens with her subtle yet tour de force performance.
While there are certain circles that disagree with some of the arguments postulated by the male protagonist in this film and refer to it as ‘white man’s nonsense’ especially regarding his speech on the politicization of all films made about black people and their experiences, it is my opinion that these propositions aren’t particularly ‘white speak’ as there are many black people who slightly agree with his postulations even though following the entire arguments that prop up through the course of the film, certain metaphorical parallels can be drawn from the scripting, to the director’s life in reality.
Subjects addressed in this movie include, love, recognition, authenticity, narcissism, art criticism, film, gratitude, the male gaze (I particularly enjoyed the breaking down of the complexities surrounding this one), spousal appreciation, rehabilitation, drug induced mental illness, spite, brutal honesty and others, makes the film easily digestible across all races of people who have ever been in a relationship.
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| photo credit: Netflix |
It is therefore relevant to note that some of the scenes in this film might actually trigger individuals who can relate to some of the topics highlighted above especially as some of the arguments are very confrontational, repetitive, sometimes wordy and downright deprecating with special reference to the bathroom scene when the viewers get to confirm Malcolm's narcissist nature and Marie’s self sabotaging attitude.
Towards the latter parts of the film, Zendaya’s character is wearing a white singlet and panties and her nipple prints are quite prominent in many shots. Some viewers might find this to be unnecessary and it was smart of the director to address this in one of the scenes where both actors address femininity and the sexualization of actors in film. The questions asked could also serve as a response to certain critics regarding the portrayal of Zendaya’s character, Rue in the Euphoria series.
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| photo credit:Netflix |
The attempts at humour during the now infamous Mac and cheese scenes, felt flat and the running time of the entire film felt a little too long as well. I appreciate the fact that there were no actual sex scenes, even though there were a few romance scenes peppered throughout, because it would have been ridiculous and delegitimized the reality of the tension brimming between both characters. In the end, the resolution was beautifully achieved.
If you enjoy stage plays and do not mind films with a single linear plot and setting then this would be your cup of tea.
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