Like the free jazz of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, or Sun Ra, Malcolm & Marie is a film that runs free and refuses to be constrained or easily defined, almost beckoning you to attempt to understand it, but never offering a safety net or a definitive answer for its own ponderings. It is elusive and difficult to penetrate despite its rather straightforward set up of a couple, debating amongst themselves and each other on if their relationship is truly fruitful or sustainable, almost like a stage play in its approach.
It is a film that has been labeled as 'pretentious,' which is certainly understandable, some of its dialogues often go on and on, talking about topics in a way that some might find to feel wanting or desperate to sound profound or meaningful. But I never felt the condescension and self importance of The Matrix or the more egregious self-aggrandizement that Lars von Trier is capable of, attempting to convince everyone how 'deep' and meaningful he is, Malcolm & Marie felt more genuine in its approach in its ponderings. It caused me to go through conflicting feelings while watching it, I laughed (rather it be by design or not), I was shocked, I was confused, and even caught off guard emotionally. Many of the arguments and raw emotion that's touched upon in Malcolm & Marie gave me some uncomfortable flashbacks to arguments that I've had with people in my life, ones that veered into more personal matters and got extremely uncomfortable. But, if I were asked what I think of the film, I can't really say that I know what to make of it, to be certain.
What I can say for certain however is that John David Washigton and Zendaya are both excellent, I must say that I've been impressed with Zendaya's change through the last couple of years, as most Disney alumni of her ilk tend to either burn out (often in dramatic fashion) or fade away into obscurity, but she's an exception to the rule, and one that I've been glad to see. She is mesmerizing in the role, carrying a bitterness and a sardonic wit, while also not afraid to let out her emotional vulnerabilities. Washington's performance is also fantastic, he speaks with the eloquence and grace, as well as the intensity that is clearly from his father, the great Denzel Washington, but also captures a physical versatility as well, which is very unlike Denzel's more reticent, cautious style of acting. I wonder if Malcolm is meant to have autism, considering that I myself have the disorder and noticed several tendencies, such as his lack of awareness for social cues, an insensitivity to others feelings, and often acting out in strange ways, such as punching and kicking around when alone and ranting to himself, though perhaps that was something that director Sam Levinson may not have even intended. Washington and Zendaya play well off of each other throughout the film's runtime, often challenging one another to see which one will break first, to see who will outclass the other. Another thing that can be praised for certain is the film's impeccable sense of design, with its evocative cinematography and score, mostly consisting of old classics from James Brown, Duke Ellington, and the aforementioned John Coltrane.
The film is certainly flawed in several ways, with the film basically being a series of long monologues, it can feel tedious at points. It was quite disappointing at times when I caught myself becoming distracted with something else. It's not to say that a film of this type can't be done well, as films like 12 Angry Men, Locke, and Glengarry Glen Ross have shown full well that it's possible to have a film basically be a bunch of conversations and still be riveting from beginning to end, even Shakespeare had the remarkable ability of using language in a way where it made mundane conversations feel powerful, unique, and even inspiring. Sam Levinson is not always such a man, while he can craft scenes that are powerful and emotionally challenging, he can just as well veer off into diatribes that make him feel wanting, as if he's trying too hard to be profound and unique. While I did say that Malcolm & Marie is better with its more ponderous nature, that doesn't mean that its flaws can be excused or that it can fall into the traps of other films like it.
Malcolm & Marie is a film that's often oscillating between tones, themes, character motivation, and so on. It was occasionally sad, occasionally funny, occasionally joyous, occasionally tragic. It is a film that is often elusive, leaving you more befuddled and curious than you were when you first began to watch it, giving no safety nets for the audience and only giving you. All you're given is the characters, as they are, sometimes saying one thing, while their actions suggest another. I often questioned to myself about what this film was even about, and if I truly 'got it.' If you asked me, it was about two broken people, whose lives are lost for two very different reasons, rather it be from insecurity, addiction, emotional turmoil, and so on. It's about two people who are both toxic to each other, but are also meant for each other in their own unusual way. It's a romance, one that's doomed to fail eventually, and then eventually getting up for the next day is just a statement to their denial of the situation that they're in and an indication that they've learned nothing from their previous experiences, and the cycle continues on.
In the end, It's one of those movies where I'm unsure if I liked it, hated it, or just thought that it was ok. But I do know that it had me thinking and I won't be forgetting about it anytime soon.
It is a film that has been labeled as 'pretentious,' which is certainly understandable, some of its dialogues often go on and on, talking about topics in a way that some might find to feel wanting or desperate to sound profound or meaningful. But I never felt the condescension and self importance of The Matrix or the more egregious self-aggrandizement that Lars von Trier is capable of, attempting to convince everyone how 'deep' and meaningful he is, Malcolm & Marie felt more genuine in its approach in its ponderings. It caused me to go through conflicting feelings while watching it, I laughed (rather it be by design or not), I was shocked, I was confused, and even caught off guard emotionally. Many of the arguments and raw emotion that's touched upon in Malcolm & Marie gave me some uncomfortable flashbacks to arguments that I've had with people in my life, ones that veered into more personal matters and got extremely uncomfortable. But, if I were asked what I think of the film, I can't really say that I know what to make of it, to be certain.
What I can say for certain however is that John David Washigton and Zendaya are both excellent, I must say that I've been impressed with Zendaya's change through the last couple of years, as most Disney alumni of her ilk tend to either burn out (often in dramatic fashion) or fade away into obscurity, but she's an exception to the rule, and one that I've been glad to see. She is mesmerizing in the role, carrying a bitterness and a sardonic wit, while also not afraid to let out her emotional vulnerabilities. Washington's performance is also fantastic, he speaks with the eloquence and grace, as well as the intensity that is clearly from his father, the great Denzel Washington, but also captures a physical versatility as well, which is very unlike Denzel's more reticent, cautious style of acting. I wonder if Malcolm is meant to have autism, considering that I myself have the disorder and noticed several tendencies, such as his lack of awareness for social cues, an insensitivity to others feelings, and often acting out in strange ways, such as punching and kicking around when alone and ranting to himself, though perhaps that was something that director Sam Levinson may not have even intended. Washington and Zendaya play well off of each other throughout the film's runtime, often challenging one another to see which one will break first, to see who will outclass the other. Another thing that can be praised for certain is the film's impeccable sense of design, with its evocative cinematography and score, mostly consisting of old classics from James Brown, Duke Ellington, and the aforementioned John Coltrane.
The film is certainly flawed in several ways, with the film basically being a series of long monologues, it can feel tedious at points. It was quite disappointing at times when I caught myself becoming distracted with something else. It's not to say that a film of this type can't be done well, as films like 12 Angry Men, Locke, and Glengarry Glen Ross have shown full well that it's possible to have a film basically be a bunch of conversations and still be riveting from beginning to end, even Shakespeare had the remarkable ability of using language in a way where it made mundane conversations feel powerful, unique, and even inspiring. Sam Levinson is not always such a man, while he can craft scenes that are powerful and emotionally challenging, he can just as well veer off into diatribes that make him feel wanting, as if he's trying too hard to be profound and unique. While I did say that Malcolm & Marie is better with its more ponderous nature, that doesn't mean that its flaws can be excused or that it can fall into the traps of other films like it.
Malcolm & Marie is a film that's often oscillating between tones, themes, character motivation, and so on. It was occasionally sad, occasionally funny, occasionally joyous, occasionally tragic. It is a film that is often elusive, leaving you more befuddled and curious than you were when you first began to watch it, giving no safety nets for the audience and only giving you. All you're given is the characters, as they are, sometimes saying one thing, while their actions suggest another. I often questioned to myself about what this film was even about, and if I truly 'got it.' If you asked me, it was about two broken people, whose lives are lost for two very different reasons, rather it be from insecurity, addiction, emotional turmoil, and so on. It's about two people who are both toxic to each other, but are also meant for each other in their own unusual way. It's a romance, one that's doomed to fail eventually, and then eventually getting up for the next day is just a statement to their denial of the situation that they're in and an indication that they've learned nothing from their previous experiences, and the cycle continues on.
In the end, It's one of those movies where I'm unsure if I liked it, hated it, or just thought that it was ok. But I do know that it had me thinking and I won't be forgetting about it anytime soon.