Malcolm & Marie | Film Review
** Contains spoilers**
Malcolm is a film director celebrating premiere night but as he and Marie arrive home things take a turn.
Bare with me with this one, there's a lot to unpack in this film. As soon as they come home, Marie is obviously upset and Malcolm is full of joy after releasing his own successful movie. The shots and camera work in the opening scene is impeccable. I am not a huge fan of the Black and white color but it’s tolerable.
Honestly the pair seems like an odd match. They are clearly on two different pages and he looks significantly older than her. Marie smokes a cigarette to take off the edge and Malcolm is rambling on and on about the premiere, ignoring the fact that she is irritated. But it’s a big night and maybe he is not always like this so he gets a pass, for now. In the middle of his rant Marie slaps Macolm with a dose of reality, letting him know he had a great film and critics will always have opinions. This scene sets the stage for the remainder of the movie.
Zendaya is supposed to be playing this older mature woman and I am not sure if she was the best actress to play this role. The chemistry was a bit off. The movie should've gave toxic but I love you vibes. It did in a way but not quite. I want it to feel like 'Baby Boy' but refined. But anyways when Maries gives her two cents about the movie Malcolm undermines her opinion diminishes her point of view because she “doesn’t work in film”. How rude. Marie ignores his comments as she makes Kraft mac and cheese. I’m sorry but why is she cooking that? Kraft is for kids but I’m assuming they sponsored the movie because that is the only excuse.
Malcolm keeps complimenting Marie on how good she looks as she continues to ignore him. She has this look on her face that all women can relate to. You can tell she is bottling something up and is trying not to explode. Finally he notices something is wrong and asks her what’s bothering her but she isn’t in the mood to argue, so she deflects. He presses her some more but she keeps reiterating that it is not a good time to talk. He begins gaslighting her but she tries her best to disengage. Finally she tells him she is upset that he forgot to thank her in his speech.
For the rest of the film Marie tells Malcolm how much she feels unappreciated and he continues to insult her and gaslight her the entire time. I will say watching them argue was triggering and a bit exhausting. Although I felt for Marie, I was able to see a portion of Malcolm’s perspective. Malcolm’s movie is inspired by Marie’s life so the lack of acknowledgement for her contribution is hurtful. Marie articulated herself plain and clear but Malcolm kept downplaying her feelings but said sorry at the same time. Men do this all the time. Sorry is not always enough especially when it is paired with insults. Malcolm denies that this movie is about Marie and basically calls her self-centered for thinking it was.
The underlying argument is one many couples face. He admits the movie wouldn’t be as good if the two weren’t together and they try to make up but it’s not over yet. Every time they are on the brink of making up, the argument is dragged out even more. Malcolm patronizes Marie and names a laundry list of things he has done for her as she recovered from her addiction. He is such a manipulator! Who brags about being a good boyfriend as their girlfriend is trying to express themselves. The film is a cycle of the same argument and in the end he finally sees Marie point (I think) and genuinely apologizes.
Malcolm is with Marie because helping her only benefits him and his ego. Marie is with Malcolm because of the support he provides. Oddly enough I think they love each other in their own way. Feeling undervalued and coming second to her boyfriend’s ego, is a feeling every woman has felt at least once in her life. And that is what makes this film great. The relatability. The way the writers crafted the story and revealed the characteristics of Marie and Malcolm is absolutely brilliant. Was it exhausting to watch, yes! Was it beyond triggering? Yes, and I can see how this can turn people off, but it is raw and real and I love it. It is thought provoking and it touched me. The movie was too long though, if you watch half of the movie, you pretty much have seen it all. Nothing much changes in the end. Despite the minor issues I wasn’t a fan of this film but I am happy to see this interaction in detail on screen.
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