Malcolm & Marie is the kind of romance you’d expect to find on Netflix amidst the movies being made in a pandemic. Two great actors have made something nuanced and intimate with a limited audience, but those looking for a dressed down drama will likely be impressed.
Early pandemic boredom inspired the concept in writer/director Sam Levinson partially based on his own experience. Since all it needed was two actors in their house after coming home from a party, it was an easy choice to produce last summer in the early months of the pandemic.
The titular couple is played by Zendaya and John David Washington, and they’re the only two actors in the entire movie. The story plays in the real time as Malcolm (Washington) and Marie (Zendaya) return home from the premiere of Malcolm’s latest movie.
What begins as a seemingly simple concept doesn’t amount to a David Mamet-esque shocker twist, but there’s still more going on than meets the eye. There’s some tension as they come home from the event and we learn Malcolm forgot to thank Marie in a thank you speech, but that’s just the start.
Instead of the real excitement coming from the premise, it comes from the couple’s subtext-rich repartee. It’s unusual (though not unheard of) to have a small cast of actors, but Malcolm & Marie takes a real gamble by restricting the cast to just the two focal characters.
This device is more common in the world of live theatre, mostly popular because it helps keep the day-to-day cost of staging professional theatre low. What this really does is put immense pressure on Zendaya and Washington because their performances are the only thing we as the audience have to be invested in.
Does it work? Yes and no. It’s effective in executing its limited set up and making the most of its limited premise.
It’s a lot more entertaining than Locked Down, HBO’s make-a-movie-in-quarantine experiment from a few weeks ago. But maybe that’s also because this film isn’t actually about the COVID-19 pandemic itself, so it’s better at invoking the escapism of the movies.
The use of Malcolm’s playlist (and Washington’s sing alongs) is a fun connecting device between scenes. Zendaya, however is the one who’s really having the most fun and shows more spontaneity of the pair. Her performance is more engaging because she’s less predictable.
One particularly introspective moment was the second scene that finds Malcolm monologuing about his frustration with film critics.
I found it remarkably authentic, despite his claims all writers are “pedantic” and trying to impress “the three people in their media studies class they respect.” The far more insightful comment was his desire for critics to simply “let the artists have fun with it.”
If you’re the kind of person willing to admire the liberty of artists doing just that, having fun with it, you’ll enjoy this a lot more than the average audience. You’ll also like this more if you enjoy the kinds of plays limited to the conversations of just two people in one setting.
Whether that elevator pitch sounds like engrossing entertainment is a good marker for whether it’s worth watching. It does make for a great romance for Valentine’s Day next weekend, and the intensity in the script and sensuality is fine for anyone who meets the 14A rating.
It’s a romance that runs a bit too long and a moviemaking stunt that’s a little better than it’s inspiration. The fight never really evolves, but the actor’s delivery elevates the concept and almost sustains the film.
Malcom & Marie
6 out of 10
14A, 1hr 46mins. Romance Drama.
Written and Directed by Sam Levinson.
Starring Zendaya and John David Washington.
Now streaming on Netflix for subscribers.
