Movie Review: Malcolm & Marie

A car pulls into the driveway of a scenic, secluded home on a quiet summer evening. Cut to the inside of the house where Malcolm (John David Washington)- an up-and-coming director-is pouring himself some celebratory drinks after the successful premiere of the acclaimed movie that seems set to launch him into superstardom while his girlfriend Marie (Zendaya)-seeming dejected and distant-quietly opens the screen door to smoke a cigarette then offers to make her very drunk partner some macaroni and cheese. After listening to Malcolm continue to indulgently soak up the praise he was receiving and discuss what his next move will be as a filmmaker will be now that's he "made it", Marie reveals that she's upset with him after he failed to thank her when he took the stage after the screening despite the fact that protagonist in his movie seems to based on her and the mood suddenly shifts from jubilation to to combative as the couple's long hidden gripes boil over to the point where they're forced to evaluate the status of their relationship. This is the simple yet tense stage writer/director Sam Levinson (best known for HBO's Euphoria) sets for the claustrophobic relationship drama Malcolm & Marie and, thanks to his sharp pen/direction and a pair of incredible performances from the perfectly cast actors, he creates an eerily effective snapshot of a young couple's volatile relationship that may or may not be able to survive long term.

Using a real time-style narrative that takes place in one setting is the greatest weapon that Malcolm & Marie has. With the post-opening credit establishing shots that slowly pan from outside the first floor windows of the rented home they're staying at that, the audience gets an immediate taste of the two very different emotional spaces the couple are in after the premiere. As the camera shifts from Malcolm's euphoric smiling and dancing to Marie's quiet anger, it's clear that the energy in the room is combustible and once Marie finally confronts Malcolm after she finishes her much-needed reflective smoke break, the odds of this night ending on a positive note for either party officially go down to zero. 

While there are unsurprisingly some asides that are only going to apply (ex: Malcolm's vitriol-fueled rant towards critics after reading one of the initial reviews for his movie and their debates about the importance of authenticity in art) to conversations between people that work in the industry (Marie is an aspiring actress who hasn't booked any significant gigs to date), there's a certain combative rhythm and slowly escalating ugliness to the conversation that should feel familiar to anyone that's participated in or observed a prolonged argument between a couple during their lives. 

What starts as a petty, seemingly small disagreement over a small action eventually morphs into a brutal verbal cage match that blows the fucking lid off of whatever long-buried issues the two people have with each other. Both parties are actively preying on the egos, insecurities and past mistakes of the other in order to inflict as much as emotional pain on the other person as humanly possible. It's the type of knock down drag out, empty the whole clip confrontation where even the moments of silence are laced with anger and the brutal sting of the wounds they've been inflicting on each other for hours, and the future of the relationship immediately comes into question. As exhausting and occasionally indulgent as watching a 105-minute argument between two people that are frequently showing off the worst of themselves can be to watch, bringing this common life event to the screen in such excruciatingly vivid, lifelike detail is the type of towering accomplishment that solidifies Zendaya, Washington and Levinson as fearless masters of their respective crafts.      

Grade: A-