The Longest Argument: Malcom & Marie Review

Creator: DOMINIC MILLER/NETFLIX © 2021 | Credit: DOMINIC MILLER/NETFLIX © 2021 Copyright: © 2021 Netflix, Inc.

The highly anticipated Sam Levinson film “Malcolm & Marie” premiered this past weekend on Netflix and it was packed with the tension of a 5-year toxic relationship all within the scope of less than 2 hours. To be honest it felt more like 10 hrs lol. But overall, I was definitely excited to see the acting performances of Zendaya and John David Washington in this film, and they did not disappoint #YouBettaAct. So here are my favorite and least favorite things about the film. Don’t worry no spoilers.

The Good

Zendaya!!! Again, I must start with the whole reason why I watched the film in the first place. It's totally because of her. As you know, Zendaya has been shedding off her Disney image and has been proudly stepping into her womanhood years through her acting choices; she has definitely tackled more mature material with her role on HBO’s Euphoria but this time she’s not playing the role of a highschool student. In her role as Marie she is a beautifully complex woman who’s suffered from a history of mental and substance abuse. She’s definitely not a victim but you see her struggle to find her voice and independence with her codependent relationship with her film director boyfriend, Malcolm. Throughout the whole film she holds the audience’s gaze in every single way with charisma and depth.

Malcolm is played by John David Washington, and again I am a huge fan of his since HBO’s Ballers. He plays the lovable, narcissist filmmaker on the verge of mainstream success with his recent film “Imani”. He is an elitist who perfectly curates the way he is received in the world of film and how mainstream Hollywood or “White Hollywood” receive his film. Throughout this film, Malcolm will be remembered for his self-tortured rants of his dichotomy of telling the story of a woman suffering from substance abuse from the perspective of a male, Black director. John David Washington effortlessly delivers passionate monologues in an eloquent fashion. I was impressed with each breath and word in his monologues #orator. Plus he’s oh so handsome and the bread is always a visual plus ++ lol.

Cinematography & The Music - The music definitely played a role in this film. It guides the audience on the feelings of the character in each scene. I’m definitely adding Dionne Warrick’s Get Rid of Him and William Bell’s I Forgot To Be Your Lover to my playlist. I definitely felt the black/white imagery was intentionally used in the film to dull the surroundings to emphasize on the raw and opposing views that Malcolm & Marie feel towards each other and the world. The movie is nothing but intense and will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride.

Realistic view of relationships - Malcolm & Marie a relatable portrayal of the inner workings of a relationship with an artist and creative. Their career is their how life, literally it can be admirable in the beginning to see how hard a person can hustle to bring their art to life. This is not an easy feat, it can be long and unawarding most of the time but then there’s a breakthrough -- and the world sees and recognizes their art. The supporting partner in this relationship can definitely suffer if they do not have something of their own. This is true for Marie who struggles to realize and commit to her dream of becoming an actor. But there are rare glimmers of their love and admiration in this film, to see when their relationship is just as simultaneously polarizing, good and bad at the same time.

The Bad

Gaslighting: It is clear in this film that Malcolm & Marie do not belong together, that’s just my take. The whole premise of the film is rooted in the fact Malcolm forgets to acknowledge Marie’s collaborative support and contribution to the film. Malcolm spends the majority of the movie discrediting her influence on him in shooting the film. He goes as far as naming other women as his inspiration, which reveals that Malcolm has an unhealthy attraction with mentally broken women who are suffering from substance abuse. If you watch the film, just remember one word: “Mac and Cheese” and “KiKi”. Cringe!

Verbal abuse: The level of verbal assaults in this film was literally exhausting. I always believe that you should never have an all no-bars argument with your significant other. Don’t curse me out and expect me to sleep with you later. You can forget it! They never forgive each for hurting each other - (Malcolm resents Marie for her constant struggle with mental illness and substance and Marie hates how he takes her for granted - to only bring them up over and over in arguments so there is no real progress or effective communication in the relationship shown in this film. “Where is the resolution?” No one is listening to each other, the only goal is to harm and prove a point and that’s just unhealthy.

Codependency: The codependency is REAL in this film. As much as they seem to be in strife in this film, neither can bring themselves to leave the argument or the person alone. In one take, Malcolm or Marie would disappear mid argument but reappear ready to go for another round. Both individuals suffer from low self-esteem and Malcolm constantly seeks the approval of his peers but not Marie’s. This is a big theme in this film, my concern is that the audience may romanticize a toxic relationship with no resolution in sight.

Worth the Watch?

Yes… but have a glass of wine ready lol. Comment down below if you’ve seen Malcolm & Marie, what are your thoughts on the film.