These two characters might be some of the most conveniently strong-willed people ever written in film because if anyone I was in a relationship with ever spoke to me like this even once, I would instantly break down and cry. Sam Levinson's Malcolm & Marie has seen quite the online dichotomy of love and hate this past week as viewers have either been adoring its classic cinema/Cassavetes aesthetic or despising its treatment of social politics. I feel like I fall right down the middle of this line, as I can recognize how unbelievably gorgeous this film looks and is acted but I also found so many issues with Levinson's writing and direction that were hard to ignore. While this has been one of my most anticipated movies for the beginning of this year, I'm a bit disappointed that I ended up having so many problems with its overall premise. But what do I know? Because according to Levinson, me and the rest of the film criticism community aren't allowed to have an opinion on his "god-granted" art.
Returning home from the premiere of his debut feature film, movie director Malcolm (John David Washington) and his girlfriend Marie (Zendaya) anxiously await the night's reviews to start coming in. As the tension between the two of them grows and the true nature of their relationship begins to be revealed, the true test of their actual romantic compatibility begins. Written, directed, and shot entirely in lockdown last year, this movie proves to be a test for Levinson to really hone in on his writing skills, as there is not too much else to focus on besides the dialogue and arguments between Malcolm and Marie. Fresh off his creative process for Euphoria (which I actually enjoy for the most part!), Levinson had to channel this energy into a different project and this film showed so much potential to be something extraordinary. What Levinson was able to achieve in the special bottle episode of Euphoria made me excited for what he could accomplish in a full-length feature but instead, he wastes this movie on complaining about the existence of criticism. The character of Malcolm pretty much only exists for Levinson to complain and bitch about the critical reviews he received for his 2018 film Assassination Nation and I really despised Washington's character for that. The incredibly extended monologues and hateful venting that Malcolm does makes it plainly obvious how butthurt Levinson was and it was rough to watch because of how he never really tries to hide his anger. I understand that some film critics can misunderstand the intention of a filmmaker due to skewed perspective and that some directors in themselves can be loud, arrogant, assholes, but this element of his writing just inadvertently makes him appear like a sensitive filmmaker that does not know how to accept either criticism or even compliments the right way. This became increasingly annoying and instead of writing the character of Malcolm to be his own person with his own motivations, Levinson wastes a perfectly good performance on his own grievances. No one is immune to criticism and that's one thing that I guess Levinson has not wrapped his head around.
Levinson also writes Zendaya's character in such a strange way that I was never fully on board with. Sure, she embodies the role as fantastically as she can but it almost seems as if Levinson is vastly overcompensating for the fact that he's a white man by writing Marie's dialogue with as much agency as possible. This is certainly a creative choice for a character that I could get behind in most situations but for a film that takes place solely between two characters in one location, it seemed very over-the-top. This also goes into how much this film reminded me of Mike Nichols' classic Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, except for the fact that Malcolm & Marie could never come close to touching that iconic piece of cinema. The way that Levinson writes his film makes it seem like it was adapted from a play, like Nichols' 1966 film actually was, but I don't think that really worked for this modern story. The dialogue and clashing personalities of the two leads make this film seem very exaggerated for no apparent reason and I honestly believe that the writing would have strongly benefitted from actually being written like a screenplay. Frankly, no one talks like the way Malcolm and Marie do, and this over-exaggeration of their conversations never sat well with me. If you are secluded in a house with someone and this abusive level of insults just keeps getting thrown around, at some point you're just gonna have to leave, right? I could never see the justification for the characters that Levinson was trying to get his audience to believe and while I know they are ramped up for dramatic effect, it just did not work for me at all. His direction is also a bit confusing because of the logistics behind the characters' arguments. In Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, the couple experiences one argument that gets progressively worse throughout the course of the film but in Malcolm & Marie, their fights are interspersed with little bouts of humor or sensuality. I really could not buy into the idea of them quickly getting over the toxic insults slung at each other so soon and Levinson's inclusion of these kinds of lighthearted scenes was just a bit too goofy for my own taste.
If there is one good thing I can say about Sam Levinson and his handling of this story, it's that he knows how to keep me interested. The projects he pursues and the aesthetics he utilizes are all just spectacular and like the fool inside of me, I cannot help but get excited when I hear of whatever he is making next. However, the true standout elements of Malcolm & Marie are the performances from the two leads and the masterclass of cinematography from Marcell Rév. Zendaya and John David Washington are absolute masters of acting at this point and this film is really just a showcase for them to show off their talents. Thank god these two were cast because their chemistry together and their individual acting abilities were more than enough to bolster this movie into solid territory. Zendaya is as remarkable as always and steals the show with ease while Washington perfectly takes on his role of a terribly ignorant film director. I honestly could not say which performance I preferred but they both turned in work so good with the script that they were given. The cinematography from Marcell Rév is also astounding and not only because it's in black and white! The color really did not have much to do with the fact that his use of dolly shots and framing was pitch-perfect and really used the composition of the house so well. The crisp and fluid capturing that Rév was able to accomplish was gorgeous and it really breathed a whole new life of visual style into this film that was desperately needed to keep it from turning into a mess of angry dialogue and pathetic complaining.
I'm trying my hardest to figure out what all of this young talent sees in Sam Levinson that makes them want to work with him but it's becoming more and more difficult to imagine. Malcolm & Marie is a solid entry into his filmography that only makes his visual style more concrete but I really could not see past his puzzling treatment of women or his whiny writing. This film could have been miles more satisfying if Levinson had not inserted so much of himself into the story but all I have to say is thank goodness for the camera, Zendaya, and Washington for being able to sustain my interest throughout this otherwise social pretension of a movie.
My Rating: ★★★
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