Relationships are some of the hardest things to navigate in life. Nothing beats the ability to laugh with someone. To experience the rush of a roller coaster with someone close to you. Nothing can ever take the place of introducing someone you care about to your favorite movie or song or vice versa. Life is full of these precious moments, moments that we probably don’t cherish nearly enough. These moments are great both in the moment and in retrospect. They come at a cost. You have to experience the bad with the good. Those people in your life that you enjoy laughing with are the same person you should equally like crying with and over.
When we’re faced with these difficult moments with the people we care about most, it can feel like walking on glass. A sudden fear of saying or doing the wrong thing can take over. The truth is we need these moments to deepen these relationships. If relationships were merely lollipops and rainbows, we would go through relationships like Kleenexes. We need to cherish the difficult moments as much, if not more than, the joyous ones. I’m a few weeks shy of having been married for seven years. Plus, another three with her before getting married. Marriage won’t be for everyone. Yet, so many of us have relationships. Whether you’re married or just in a committed relationship, the only difference is what we call it.
I’ve been grateful for my many years of marriage. It has taught me a great deal about myself and most importantly how I operate around other people. My wife has challenged me in more ways than I would ever care to admit. We’ve had tons of memories of us laughing, tickling one another, and just being downright weird. However, we’ve also had those fights so bad we nearly thought it could have been the end. Sam Levinson, most popular for his television show Euphoria, wrote and directed the movie Malcolm & Marie on these exact principles. Fun fact, he and the cast reportedly shot this movie during last year’s quarantine. The movie is an intimate look into a couple’s life (John David Washington, Zendaya) after the events of a movie premiere, for Malcolm’s directorial debut.
Malcolm has a lot to offer audiences. It is a raw exercise in realism that perfectly captures the fragile nature of relationships. This is where the film is strongest. Levinson’s script is near immaculate with what are perhaps some of the best monologues we’ve seen in film in years. Washington and Zendaya both illustrate with impactful performances that could be the best we’ve ever seen from either actor. The two have genuine chemistry. Whether they are fighting or getting along, the two have a natural spark that lends greatly to the film’s authentic portrayal. I truly enjoyed myself getting to see each actor explore such exposed characters.
It’s established early in the script that Washington is a writer-director. He has just made his big debut. At first, it feels like this is given to the audience simply to flesh them out a bit, or even to give them any degree of background. This is a subplot that gets dropped fairly early within the movie. When it is brought up it is used wisely as a plot device to charge the spark between the characters. There comes a point during the film’s third act when it’s stripped of its relationship from the characters to stand on its own. When it does, we get nearly fifteen minutes of side track to see how Washington handles the criticism of one film critic. It feels oddly placed within the film. It feels like we have this compelling drama that has been sidelined by a minor plot detail.
I have mixed emotions when it comes to the full thing of Malcolm & Marie. The film has powerful performances from its cast but it also feels like it's in the wrong medium. Given how dialogue heavy the script is, this drama would have been better suited for the stage. Similarly to last year’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom - which got its start on stages and found life through the final Chad Bosewick film, Malcolm feels like it was designated for something a bit more intimate like a dinner theatre and not a feature film. But Levinson manages to capture that intimacy with beautiful cinematography and a captivating score by Labrinth, so it feels like the next best thing.
Overall, Malcolm & Marie is home to compelling performances, a dialogue heavy script and breathtaking cinematography. John David Washington and Zendaya deliver the best performances we’ve seen from either actor to date. There is a natural spark between the two that is undeniable. The relationship feels authentic from their passionate fighting to their tender love. The film version of the story feels like it is the wrong medium to properly tell this story. Regardless, Malcolm & Marie has some of the best writing we’ve seen in a long time. It’s raw, real, and emotional with performances that impact you long after the credits roll.
RORSCHACH RATING:
Mental Health Moment: To an extent, the entire production of Malcolm & Marie feels like an exercise in mental health. From its relational themes of dating to feeling the need to be accepted for your art, there is no shortage of mental health themes here. I will go with the former for this section of the review. Zendaya’s Marie has a degree of bitterness against the “celebrated” art of Washington’s Malcolm. There comes a point during the film when Marie questions Malcolm and asks “why didn’t you fight for me?”
There are going to be people that come across your path and don’t agree with you. They will try everything in their power to derail your spirits and your mental health. You have to fight for your mental health. Never be afraid to be vulnerable enough to tell someone about how you feel mentally or emotionally. This creates relationships that will be beneficial and long lasting for your mental health. Fighting means getting down and dirty with your emotions. It means never staying in the same toxic cycles where you may currently find yourself. It may mean checking into therapy, new meds, or changing your scenery. Find out what you need to do in order to fight for positive mental health in your life.
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Malcolm & Marie is property of Netflix. We do not own nor claim any rights.
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