Conceptualised and filmed during the Spring/Summer COVID-19 lockdown, Euphoria collaborators Sam Levinson and Zendaya reunite - with the addition of Tenet’s John David Washington - to portray the tensions, pressures and toxicities experienced by a couple in the Hollywood spotlight.
"a sophisticated, absorbing and well-acted 'feature-length argument'"
Malcolm & Marie begins with the titular characters, a writer/director and his girlfriend, arriving home from the glitzy premiere of Malcolm's latest film, "Imani" (a film that we quickly find out was heavily inspired by Marie's traumatic mental health struggles). What soon unravels is an evening of rage, resentment and jealousy as the couple relax their fake Hollywood smiles and express the hurt and disappointment that has built-up throughout their relationship. Some might call Malcolm & Marie a 'feature-length argument' - which it is - but it is a sophisticated, absorbing and well-acted one, shot in glossy black-and-white, at that.
Admittedly Malcolm & Marie's narrative structure is a little jarring, with the couple's argument bouncing from one grievance to another like the most mind-numbing blockbusters dart between action sequences. It can be hard to keep up with all of the different emotions that they are expressing. Yet this is easily overlooked when the characters are constantly raising valid points - I think anyone would be as angry as Marie if their partner forgot to thank them in a landmark speech - and disclosing hooking secrets. Besides, it wouldn't be an authentic depiction of an argument if the characters were not sprouting off on to a thousand different tangents, would it?
"The pair have explosive chemistry"
Although the film is set in a pre-pandemic world it takes place in the loneliest hours of the night, creating a familiar sense of isolation and allowing for a microscopic analysis of the relationship of two very complicated and divisive characters: Malcolm is a career-driven, emotionally-ignorant narcissist while Marie is needy, jealous and feels unseen - a match made in 'toxic relationship' heaven.
John David Washington and Zendaya portray the hot-blooded couple with two fiery performances. The term "tour de force" is used within the film to praise Malcolm's directing and I would use the same phrasing to describe Zendaya - she is BLAZING. Her performance is grounded yet assertive and exudes maturity, grace and vulnerability. Not bad for her first time as a leading lady! Washington matches his co-star with an electric performance packed with passion - his hysterical monologue/rant on film criticism is both exhilarating and provoking to behold. The pair also have explosive chemistry.
As somebody who has written countless academic essays and reviews that have analysed cinema with a political eye, I was surprised by how much I appreciated Sam Levinson’s bold attack on film journalism. His strong take has made me question why we are more susceptible to politicise films that feature or are made by women, POC or members of the LGBTQ+ community than we are cisgender white men. I can think of examples of this in my own recent writing: Instead of admiring the joy and poignance of Pixar's Soul, I critically discussed - and politicised - the film's creative choices regarding its representation of race, simply because it featured a black lead. Malcolm & Marie itself could be (mis)interpreted as commentary on the confining frustrations that face black filmmakers, but I think Levinson's intention is to start a wider and more inclusive conversation around deep-rooted (and often unintentional) prejudice and bias in film criticism...or he is still angry about an overly analytical negative review he once received.
Yet my biggest takeaway from Malcolm & Marie - excluding the bolstering performances - was how well Levinson captured this toxic relationship on camera. Similarly to Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story - where audiences were left divided on who they sided with - both Malcolm and Marie are flawed, petty and, at times, unlikable characters. Viewers will have to decide - and frequently reconsider - who they align with depending on whose toxic traits they relate to, agree with or feel sympathy for most (I'm with Marie)...and that is what makes this film so compelling! It's addictive, it's chaotic, it's excellent.
"Don't push away the people that ground you" is one of the fantastic lines that Marie fires at Malcolm, and I hope that Levinson and Zendaya continue to follow this mantra because they continue to produce tremendous work together.
