'Malcolm & Marie' Spoilers: What is the titular couple fighting about, is their relationship drama relatable?
At first glance, social media will tell you how they laughed and cried and felt their heartstrings being pulled at by the phenomenal performances of Zendaya and John David Washington in a painfully beautiful drama penned by Sam Levinson. Although much of that overflow of emotions can be blamed on both the leading actors' breakthrough success in the recent past, the relationship that their characters share with each other, or the fight they embark upon to leave viewers torn and tattered, is far from hard-hitting.
If you're acquainted with Sam Esmail's 2014 film 'Comet' starring Emmy Rossum and Justin Long, there's isn't much difference, except the events of 'Malcolm and Marie' are happening one fateful night in the cushy SoCal premises. The entire cast of the film is made up of just the two leading characters, and while that's enough reflection of the pandemic, everything else is far, far away in a distant galaxy from here.
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There's already been major backlash surrounding the age gap between the 24-year-old Zendaya and her co-star and on-screen love interest, Washington, 36. Zendaya dismissed it all saying people aren't used to her being an adult in real life, as she has graced on teenager roles for the screen so far. But that also isn't the problem one would find with the film. It's all the unnecessary jibber jabber, the incessant commentary about everything from art to film critics, and more that might seem a little irrelevant in the wake of their relationship falling apart.
And that brings us to the big fight the couple is struggling to overcome — Malcolm forgot to thank Marie despite thanking over 100 people on the night of his big premiere. As a director who wrote and produced this movie, Malcolm is bursting with enthusiasm about his potential breakthrough. His film, however, is massively inspired by Marie's battles with addiction while she was a struggling actress. Marie thinks it was necessary for him to thank her, but Malcolm insists he has said it countless times before, and this is all her nitpicky nature to fight after finding something ugly about something really good.
It's not a toxic relationship where they are hurling punches at each other, but the dialogues are supposed to be sharper than javelins, even though they might not quite land the way one would want them to. So if you're a cushy SoCal resident living in their fancy house amid the lap of luxury and find yourself ranting about art, film and appropriation amid relationship grievances, this movie is for you. It's engaging and somewhat pretentious. We get it, you don't have anybody around amid the pandemic to engage in intellectual repertoire with, but is a fight about the future of your relationship really where you go on filmy monologues?
'Malcolm & Marie' premieres this Friday, February 5, only on Netflix.