I would venture to say that the majority of films set in a single location take on the form of a horror movie or a claustrophobic thriller. It seems natural that a movie set solely in one insular space would play to an audience’s anxiety-ridden sensibilities.
Sam Levinson took a slightly different approach with his searing romantic drama, “Malcolm & Marie.” Understandably hampered by the existence of a global pandemic but nevertheless determined to make a movie he felt would be impactful despite the limitations he faced, Levinson ultimately wrote a script about a couple whose relationship is burned to the ground, summarily rebuilt, and promptly torn down again over the course of one fateful evening at their apartment.
Our titular leads, embodied with admirable passion and vigor by John David Washington and Zendaya, are about as exhausting a pair of individuals as you could possibly make an entire movie about. The raging conflict between them ferociously rears its head in varying forms over the course of the film’s bloated 106-minute run time, and by the time the movie finally embraces its conclusive black screen, it feels like you’ve watched an entire relationship’s worth of fights in just under 2 hours.
The row to end all rows that ensues shortly after the commencement of the film is sparked by Malcolm’s failure to thank his girlfriend Marie in the speech he gives at the premiere of his new film. As the couple stumbles into their beautiful Californian abode following an undoubtedly long night, Malcolm is coasting off the high of the raucous audience reaction his movie just received. Marie is not so giddy. And once we discover exactly why that is, it’s off to the races.
The pair unleash all of their interpersonal artillery in a showdown that spans the rest of the movie. All of their insecurities, all of their fears, all of their hopes and aspirations, it’s all pushed to the middle of the table in an incendiary night that will come to define the future of their relationship.
Zendaya and John David Washington in “Malcolm & Marie.” Photo: Netflix 2021
“Malcolm & Marie” is a film that is easy to admire, a little harder to like, and even harder to enjoy. The craftsmanship on display by director of photography Marcell Rév and his talented camera team is jaw-dropping from start to finish. While Levinson’s story never strays beyond the property lines of Malcolm and Marie’s opulent Malibu apartment, there is still an astounding amount of innovative cinematography that ensures the movie is always visually interesting, even when its screenplay is a little less so.
This brings us to “Malcolm & Marie’s” major problem, aside from its distended length, and that is the script itself. It sets out to paint a compelling picture of a relationship on the brink of utter collapse, and it occasionally succeeds in small doses. The dialogue is simply far too obtuse and distractingly verbose for the emotional profundity that Levinson strives for to ever fully materialize. Washington and Zendaya do absolutely everything they can to elevate that which they were given, but even the most spell-binding performances can be crippled by poor writing.
I can’t say that this is a bad film, or even one you should avoid. There are elements to be appreciated, and there’s a chance the voluble dialogue won’t come off quite as corny—or even as laughable—as it did for me. So check it out for yourself. If you find yourself desperate for a quiet moment after half an hour of incessant arguing, you’ll be waiting for that second to breathe for the rest of the film. Prepare yourself accordingly.
