So that would explain why the critic reviews were so low..
Malcolm and Marie is so beautifully shot. I love the black and white and the grain of the film. The jazzy score also serves the story greatly. John David Washington and Zendaya kill it - that scene were Zendaya had the knife made my jaw drop. That's how you subvert expectations. The film teaches about the importance of showing gratefulness in a relationship and being appreciative for the small things your partner does for you which, personally, is something I need to be reminded of often. Some people just assume your partner knows your appreciative, but some people want you to tell/show them. I really appreciate the film for spreading that message.
However, the film is not without its flaws. Because the movie is very much dialogue-driven, it can a bit exhausting at times. My bigger problem with the film, though, is the lack of nuance and subtlety it carried with the multiple anti-critic monologues. The first one, I didn't mind, but the second one lasts about ten minutes, and it may have been better off if Sam Levinson just walked on set and gave a spoken word. The whole message just does not work within this film and felt so fourth-wall breaking. It doesn't ruin the movie for me, but It definitely took me out and, unfortunately, holds the film back from being much greater than it could've been.
Still, I absolutely love the visuals, score, and cinematography of this film. I'd love to see more of these low-budget, small set, limited cast movies that are heavily focused on characters and relationship over big budget spectacle. I love the indie style of this movie and how it was shot during lockdown. Does it compare to Marriage Story? Not even close. Should the critic sub-plot have been left out and just further developed the relationship between Malcolm and Marie? Yeah. But this is the film we got, and it was still a delight to watch.
Rating: 8/10
Malcolm and Marie is so beautifully shot. I love the black and white and the grain of the film. The jazzy score also serves the story greatly. John David Washington and Zendaya kill it - that scene were Zendaya had the knife made my jaw drop. That's how you subvert expectations. The film teaches about the importance of showing gratefulness in a relationship and being appreciative for the small things your partner does for you which, personally, is something I need to be reminded of often. Some people just assume your partner knows your appreciative, but some people want you to tell/show them. I really appreciate the film for spreading that message.
However, the film is not without its flaws. Because the movie is very much dialogue-driven, it can a bit exhausting at times. My bigger problem with the film, though, is the lack of nuance and subtlety it carried with the multiple anti-critic monologues. The first one, I didn't mind, but the second one lasts about ten minutes, and it may have been better off if Sam Levinson just walked on set and gave a spoken word. The whole message just does not work within this film and felt so fourth-wall breaking. It doesn't ruin the movie for me, but It definitely took me out and, unfortunately, holds the film back from being much greater than it could've been.
Still, I absolutely love the visuals, score, and cinematography of this film. I'd love to see more of these low-budget, small set, limited cast movies that are heavily focused on characters and relationship over big budget spectacle. I love the indie style of this movie and how it was shot during lockdown. Does it compare to Marriage Story? Not even close. Should the critic sub-plot have been left out and just further developed the relationship between Malcolm and Marie? Yeah. But this is the film we got, and it was still a delight to watch.
Rating: 8/10