Malcolm & Marie

Malcolm & Marie, the new Netflix film filmed during the pandemic (but isn't about the pandemic) is probably one of the more confusing films I've seen in a while. 

Not for any specific plot purpose, but purely because I feel like I can't make up my mind on whether I like it or not. Much like the relationship it portrays, I keep going back and forth, stuck in between loving it, knowing it's not for everyone, and then coming to terms with the fact that it can just be too.much.

Starring Zendaya and John David Washington, it's contained within a single household, a 2-3 hour span on a single night, and ultimately amounts to a lot of talking. We're watching a couple go through the [exhausting] throws of a fight. 

It's not a film for everyone, that's for damn sure, and I argue it's not even a film that I "like", but there are elements that are impressive and kept me watching through its too-long 106 minute runtime. 

Across the course of the evening, we learn more and more about these characters, why they're fighting, the history of the relationship, and the evening that preceded it. Having just taken a course on the "Craft of Character" (to beef up my own character writing skills) this is truly a masterwork of character development. Perhaps it's all a bit too "strategized" as to when we learn specific things, but there's an unexpected sense of mystery here as every new leg of the argument seems to reveal something significant that may change your view of who's right and who's wrong. The ability to craft a fleshed out world and idea of this couple with just an argument providing the insight is impressive and the continued "reveals" throughout are part of what kept me watching. 

The other - and most impressive thing - is the performances. Despite your thoughts on the film, there's zero arguing that John David Washington and Zendaya's performances are wildly impressive. I very much like both of these performers so it's A) cool to see them share the screen and B) even better to see them give some career-best outings. As you'll find, the emotions of the evening range the whole gambit. For JDW it's always interesting to see how he reflects his father (Denzel) but is unique on his own and Zendaya is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with between this and Euphoria. Interestingly enough, her character is written here as if she could be Rue (her character from Euphoria) fast forwarded 7-ish years. It's interesting, but I also hope Zendaya doesn't start getting type cast as the recovering drug addict. But I digress...Malcolm & Marie may leave you as unsure about your opinions about it like me, or you may hate it, but you won't be able to deny that watching these two just act is entertaining. 

"Did you know I can invert time. Ima bout' to invert you gurrrl."

Now to the other "stuff"...the "stuff" that I didn't like and/or I can't make up my mind about. It's a struggle because I feel as if the rating I give the film now could be irrelevant in 2-3 months time, but higher or lower I'm completely unsure. My first gripe is that the film is exhausting and far too long. Part of this likely stems from my aversion to single-location films, but there's also just this merry-go-round sensation with their argument that gets tiresome. Both my fiancée and I looked at each other no fewer than three times, rolling our eyes, commenting "Here we go again!". Put more simply, Malcolm & Marie is too much. Too much arguing. Too much dialogue on the same topics. Too much rehashing. This should have been a 70-80 minute movie (yes, that short) and it would have been infinitely more effective and could have trimmed each conversation by a few minutes while still doing what it set out to do. The over-doing paints these characters as legitimately unstable, incapable of moving a conversation forward, and falling back into wild emotional swings at a single comment. Eventually, you just end up not liking either of them. 

Making them even more unrealistic is a very impressive, but ridiculous script. It's filled with words and discussions and poignant "ah-ha!" moments that no (and I mean zero) couples, drunk at 1am in the morning, scarfing down mac-n-cheese from a box are going to have. Hell, the script isn't even realistic for a couple sober and enjoying filet mignon at a restaurant. No one actually talks the way these two do and normally I can chalk that up to "Well, it's a movie" but here it feels like a greater sin. We're supposed to believe in the authenticity of this film, but yet the fact they're performing from a script couldn't be clearer. It's not Zendaya or JDW's fault either - it's just how unrealistic the script is. 

At the end of it all, I'm left still confused. The film is a chore to get through, but I was strangely drawn to it. It's black-and-white aesthetic does wonders and it's subtly impressive from a cinematography standpoint. The performances are knock-out. The script has some entertaining moments and interesting points to make. But the script is also drastically unrealistic. These characters have such broad emotional swings they become unlikeable. And the film feels a half hour longer than it actually is. Every "point" I like about it seems to have a "counter-point"...almost a mirror image of the argument that takes place in the film and meanwhile I'm realizing that if it were Molly and I being filmed coming back from a night out at 1am, it would have lasted 10 minutes. We would have gotten home, scarfed down said mac n' cheese and gone straight the f**k to bed.

The end.

CONS

• Too much in a lot of ways. Particularly in length, this should have been a short film. Even at 106 minutes, it's too long
• Unrealistic script. Impressive, but no one is having this eloquent of conversation drunk at 1-3am
• Exhausting to watch with wide emotional swings (within seconds) that ends up making both of these characters kind of unlikeable
• As I suspected early on, the ending was just...there

PROS

• Zendaya and John David Washington's performances are impressive. These two are stars and they're the best part of the film
• I loved the black-and-white decision. Can't explain it, but it adds to the film and the cinematography
• As much as the script is unrealistic, it's impressively written
• The discussion and argument builds little breadcrumb trails to their history, both individual and as a couple, that are intriguing. The character development was impressive and each new segment of conversation revealed something new

Rath's Review Score | 6.5/10