KRR: So, A 'Malcolm & Marie' Mini-Defense and a January Movie Round-up.

I wanted to write this last Friday after I finished watching Netflix's new film Malcolm & Marie, but then the excruciating critical debate over the film began. Since then, I haven't been able to peel my eyes away from it, sift through the bullshit, and come out with a clear head. Last week was exhausting in its own right, from the Golden Globes nominations (wack), to Sundance (tiresome), to the Super Bowl (don't get me started); but, the Malcolm & Marie discourse was the icing on the cake. If this review seems muddled, it's because I myself am muddled - too many thoughts about a movie that leaves nothing unsaid.

The newest Netflix film by Sam Levinson (the creative mind behind HBO's Euphoria) is a black-and-white two-person show, starring Zendaya and John David Washington. They play a couple on the verge of Hollywood success: Malcolm, a director finally getting his big break, and Marie, his partner, rock, and creative inspiration. But, as this film plays out in real time following the premiere of Malcolm's new movie, what should be a celebratory night quickly turns into multi-hour war of words. Never has a couple fighting looked so beautiful. (And I'm not just saying that because I'm pan.) 

 

-MILD SPOILERS AHEAD-

If you care more about what goes on behind the camera, then there is a lot about Malcolm & Marie that you should know right off the top. First off, it was filmed in July of 2020. If your memory can go that many years back (mine tries not to) you'll remember that the U.S. was simultaneously in the middle of a national quarantine and a fiery call for black liberation. This film is a product of the first (and a byproduct of the second). It is one of the few quarantine films - a term I hope to never write again - that isn't about Covid-19. Instead, it is about a couple coming apart at the seams. The second thing you should know is that Sam Levinson, the writer and director, is white. And for a film featuring two black actors talking about black issues (among other things), this is a rather important fact.

Malcolm & Marie's detractors use Sam Levinson's whiteness against him. How can he, a rich white man, write a script about a black filmmaker, filled with African American vernacular English? Now, I'm no Sam Levinson defender. Much to the chagrin of my television-obsessed readers, I don't watch Euphoria. Nor do I often come to the defense of rich white men. They usually don't need my help. However, as much as I would love to take the "fuck this movie" route - I simply do not feel that way. So, here is my defense of this entirely unnecessary but gorgeous film. 

Number one: Sam Levinson is getting waaaaaaaaaaaay too much credit, even as the writer/director of this project. Critics are skewering him for projecting his own personal life - a director who once got a bad review - onto Malcolm's character. Like okay, sure. That's almost definitely the case. But what the fuck did you expect? You watched a film about a filmmaker, made - OBVIOUSLY - by a filmmaker. You thought he wasn't going to project himself onto the character?? Give me a break. And while I'll give it to the haters that Levinson shouldn't write scripts about the "black perspective" since he doesn't have it, something tells me that Zendaya and JDW weren't saying anything they didn't want to. Not just because the former is a Marvel darling and HBO wunderkind, and the latter a Golden Globe winner and son of one of the greatest actors of all time, but because they literally produced the damn thing. Sam Levinson, for all his credit, is not forcing words into the mouths of Zendaya and John David Washington, both of whom are financing the very film they're starring in. If they didn't want to do it, they wouldn't have. And by the way, they did!

Please just get these two Oscars right now. 

Number two: Folks are saying this film is pretentious and cliché. You know what? I agree. It is really pretentious. The film presents nothing new, the script is pompous, and Sam Levinson seems to condescend to his audience. I won't argue anything of those things. That being said, most films don't do anything new. I don't watch Fast Five 'cause it's revolutionary and revelatory. I watch it 'cause it rocks. It's a stellar execution of a proven formula. And, on top of that, I actually like pretentious scripts. I don't care if it feels like the scriptwriter thinks they're better than me. That's fine. I'll get over it. I'm not going to suddenly be like, "Fuck The West Wing, that dude is just flexing his intellect in the script. Dick."

Number three: While everyone hates on what they're not seeing (the creative intent), they're forgetting about what they are seeing (the creation, itself). And what they're seeing is beautiful. Zendaya and JDW are fucking incredible in this. Flat-out incredible. There is no one else working in Hollywood right now that I would want to see in these roles. Their range of emotion is unmatched and their chemistry leaps off the screen. And, while they're delivering knock-out performances, the cinematography is capturing all that power with grace. The black-and-white is gorgeous, and the camera movements breathe life into their Malibu manor. It seems like the more beautiful a film is, the louder the detractors get. I don't know why. Motherfuckers need to learn how to appreciate the art they're given. 

I loved this movie. It isn't perfect. It isn't original. But it's damn good. 

Nothing classier than watching two people fight in black-and-white.

Malcolm & Marie KRR: 8.5/10

Now, I believe I owe y'all an apology for my absence over the first month of this year. I'm sorry I haven't been around to give guidance on what's worth watching and what isn't. Please, allow me to make up for lost time with some notes on five of the biggest releases of the year to date.

Starting with the worst: Locked Down. Listen, I could tell you what this Doug Liman quarantine film is about and make it sound twice as interesting as it really is, but I'm going to spare you. Just don't watch this. I know it has Chiwetel Ejiofor and Anne Hathaway. I know it should be good. But it just isn't. Locked Down KRR: 3.5/10

Absurd doesn't even begin to describe the Jared Leto nominations.

Moving on to The Little Things. If you even pay a little bit of attention to the film industry, you've probably heard of this film. John Lee Hancock's crime thriller starring Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto is little crime, no thrill, and somehow raking in the awards' nominations. I could write a dissertation about everything that doesn't work in this movie. All three main performances belong in totally different movies, the plot holes would sink even the most watertight ship, and the only thing you'll be left thinking is, "Why the fuck did this get made?!" Talk about unnecessary - this is it.

The Little Things KRR: 4.5/10

Every week this year Netflix is releasing at least one new movie, and they kicked off the year with an Indian rags-to-riches film called The White Tiger. This is the first film in this round-up that's possibly worth watching, if you're feeling up for a two-hour-plus movie that you've definitely already seen before. Much like the overly maligned Malcolm & Marie, The White Tiger presents nothing new whatsoever. However, it does that presentation fairly well. Adarsh Gourav gives an outstanding performance, transforming himself from a downtrodden worker to a ruthless millionaire, and he outshines the work Rajkummar Rao and Priyanka Chopra are putting in. It's good. Worth watching? Your decision. 

The White Tiger KRR: 6/10

Ah shit, I'm gonna cry again just writing about this damn movie.

These next two are tearjerkers and absolutely worth watching if you're looking for some good new films to pass the time. Although this first one isn't exactly "new." Our Friend premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival two years ago, but it's just now seeing a widescale release. Featuring Dakota Johnson, Jason Segel, and Casey Affleck, and directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite (who previously did the incredible documentary Black Fish), Our Friend tells the true story of a man with nothing going for him who moves in with his best friends (a married couple). He helps take care of them and their children, as the wife dies of cancer. It's sad and it's sweet, and I won't say anything bad about it because it's based on a true story and I don't want to hurt any feelings. It's already criminally underrated, so please, go give it a watch!

Our Friend KRR: 7.1/10

Probably the most acclaimed 2021 Netflix release to date is The Dig. This period piece starring Carey Mulligan (who is ruling Hollywood right now), Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, and Johnny Flynn takes place in pre-WWII England, telling the true story of the Sutton Hoo excavation. Much like Our Friend, it is sweet and slow (albeit, it is more.... brown.) The story, while true, is a little predictable, but that doesn't take away from the film's good qualities. The acting is spot on. The set pieces are great. It is, all in all, a worthwhile period drama.

The Dig KRR: 7.7/10

The Color Brown.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be around more in February as some of the biggest movies of the last 12 months are finally making their way into peoples' homes: including the English horror film Saint Maud, Shaka King's Judas and the Black Messiah, Sundance 2020's big winner Minari, and the best (...? I'll tell you why in a few weeks!) movie of 2020, Nomadland. Be on the lookout for those, and once you've seen them, come right back here! I've got a lot of thoughts. Obviously.