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Malcolm and Marie
Did you ever wonder what happens with a Hollywood power couple after they come home from the movie premiere or the awards ceremony? A terrific premise is tackled in 2021's Malcolm and Marie, an edgy, self-indulgent, and stylishly directed, two-character drama that definitely earns an "A" for effort, but tries so hard to be different that it almost loses the viewer more than once, not to mention production issues that get in the way.
Malcolm is a film writer and director who has just returned from the premiere of his latest film with his glamorous girlfriend, Marie. It's immediately revealed that Marie is furious with Malcolm because we learn that during his speech before the film, Malcolm neglected to thank her, which is just a springboard for an often vicious, sometimes funny, and slightly over the top look at an extremely dysfunctional relationship wrapped up in a lot of Hollywood glitz that is methodically stripped away as the drama progresses.
Writer and director Sam Levinson shows real promise as a filmmaker here, taking a calculated risk with a two character movie, but sometimes he allows his obvious style with a camera and with a screenplay actually get in the way of the often legitimate issues that permeate the piece. There is some terrific camerawork here...loved the opening ten minutes of the film where we are watching Malcolm and Marie inside the house but the camera is outside the house. There are also moments where the characters are outside and the camera is inside the house that are equally effective.
Levinson's writing is intelligent and explosive, if a little long-winded because we realize early on that the entire movie can't possibly be about Marie not getting mentioned in Malcolm's speech and it's not, but it takes a little too long to get there. There are some breathtaking images in the film that would make lovely paintings, but they just slow the film down. A costume choice for Marie of a white T-shirt where her nipples are exposed for a good portion of the film also distract, especially when she first appears in it and the scene is initially sans dialogue. There's also an issue with audio where the director attempts to create intimacy in certain moments, but the audio makes it difficult to hear exactly what's being said and sometimes I felt like I was missing something important.
What I do love about the screenplay is that Malcolm and Marie are intelligent and articulate black people who are extremely knowledgeable about the business they're in. Malcolm has one tirade in the film where he actually references, David O Selznick, Spike Lee, and Elaine May in the same monologue. If the truth be told, Malcom and Marie reminded me of George and Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf...two people who really knew how to hurt each other but also loved each other intensely.
John David Washington's often explosive performance as Malcolm commands attention and reminded me a lot of his father, but it's Zendaya's eye-opening performance that will surprise you. It's not a home run, but it's never boring and Sam Levinson is definitely a filmmaker to watch.
Did you ever wonder what happens with a Hollywood power couple after they come home from the movie premiere or the awards ceremony? A terrific premise is tackled in 2021's Malcolm and Marie, an edgy, self-indulgent, and stylishly directed, two-character drama that definitely earns an "A" for effort, but tries so hard to be different that it almost loses the viewer more than once, not to mention production issues that get in the way.
Malcolm is a film writer and director who has just returned from the premiere of his latest film with his glamorous girlfriend, Marie. It's immediately revealed that Marie is furious with Malcolm because we learn that during his speech before the film, Malcolm neglected to thank her, which is just a springboard for an often vicious, sometimes funny, and slightly over the top look at an extremely dysfunctional relationship wrapped up in a lot of Hollywood glitz that is methodically stripped away as the drama progresses.
Writer and director Sam Levinson shows real promise as a filmmaker here, taking a calculated risk with a two character movie, but sometimes he allows his obvious style with a camera and with a screenplay actually get in the way of the often legitimate issues that permeate the piece. There is some terrific camerawork here...loved the opening ten minutes of the film where we are watching Malcolm and Marie inside the house but the camera is outside the house. There are also moments where the characters are outside and the camera is inside the house that are equally effective.
Levinson's writing is intelligent and explosive, if a little long-winded because we realize early on that the entire movie can't possibly be about Marie not getting mentioned in Malcolm's speech and it's not, but it takes a little too long to get there. There are some breathtaking images in the film that would make lovely paintings, but they just slow the film down. A costume choice for Marie of a white T-shirt where her nipples are exposed for a good portion of the film also distract, especially when she first appears in it and the scene is initially sans dialogue. There's also an issue with audio where the director attempts to create intimacy in certain moments, but the audio makes it difficult to hear exactly what's being said and sometimes I felt like I was missing something important.
What I do love about the screenplay is that Malcolm and Marie are intelligent and articulate black people who are extremely knowledgeable about the business they're in. Malcolm has one tirade in the film where he actually references, David O Selznick, Spike Lee, and Elaine May in the same monologue. If the truth be told, Malcom and Marie reminded me of George and Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf...two people who really knew how to hurt each other but also loved each other intensely.
John David Washington's often explosive performance as Malcolm commands attention and reminded me a lot of his father, but it's Zendaya's eye-opening performance that will surprise you. It's not a home run, but it's never boring and Sam Levinson is definitely a filmmaker to watch.