Malcolm and Marie

Director Sam Levinson proves with this intimate romantic drama what making movies is all about. Telling a story. A story of people. No matter whether it is about saving the world or struggle in a relationship and that’s what this picture is all about, a night full of arguments, emotions and humanity. After the premiere of Malcolm’s film, he and his girlfriend Marie return home and Malcolm, portrayed by John David Washington wants to celebrate his success. However, Marie, embodied by Zendaya Coleman seems still mad about him forgetting to thank her for her contribution to the film and a giant argument between them appears to be inevitable.

I’ve been a fan of Zendaya for quite some time now. Portraying Mary Jane in the new Spider-Man movies I first noticed her carrier. Already in the same year, she conquered my heart with her performance in “The Greatest Showman” and with the character Rue in the series “Euphoria”, she became one of my favourite actresses in Hollywood. John David Washington on the other hand was seen by me first in the recently released “Tenet” by Christopher Nolan but only got my attention through his performance in this film. Although, I need to add that these two were the only movies I have seen from him at this point. A great cast for a big drama.

Long scenes, deep talk and a lot of wisdom about directors. All that is part of “Malcolm & Marie” and all of it is great. I never enjoyed a fight between a couple so much and I’d be wondered if John David Washington and Zendaya Coleman won’t get at least nominated for an Oscar for their performances. For instance, Malcolm’s monologue about the first critic for his film -from a lady of the New York Times- alone is stunning. Paired with a nice soundtrack and a black/white look, the film even overthrew my expectations.

Despite that, the movie does have some problems which aren’t deniable. The fight between Malcolm and Marie seems to be running in circles and once they discussed one part of their relationship, they keep coming up with another point to argue about. This recurring structure of the movie leads to a not surprising ending. A shorter run time and it would have felt a little tighter and better. Beyond that, critics complained about the film criticising critics which are kinda ironic in my mind. Nevertheless, the moment the film closed and the credits began to run down the screen, I felt like sitting in the cinema, a feeling which is not just unique but also very precious to me. Thank you for this picture.