MALCOLM & MARIE
Sam Levinson (2021)
1 STAR
Executed in such a way so as to preemptively undermine negative reviews, Sam Levinson’s quarantine-era production indeed does offer plenty to complain about. Malcolm & Marie is an argument stretched to 106 minutes under the guise of a meta evaluation of the film and film critique industries.
As a portfolio of Levinson’s compelling dialogue, Malcolm & Marie succeeds, unfortunately that is all that the picture offers. One character picks a fight, they pontificate, leave the room, the second extends the argument, take their turn ranting, leave, and so on ad infinitum.
Credit where it’s due; Zandaya and Washington show great emotional range bringing a human touch to the isolating production, but in a film packed to the brim with monologues, soliloquies and general rants, it is telling that the well chosen soundtrack says so much more.
As a white, male, filmmaker in an industry that he was given an incredible leg up in to, Levinson utilises his minority character’s voices to air his own grievances. This leaves a sour taste that adding a pretentious black and white filter simply does not mask. This film acts as preemptive defence for itself, something that it should never have had to be.