Malcolm & Marie (2021) Dir: Sam Levinson
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Straight off, I love that it is filmed in black and white. I also love that it was filmed with a 1950s 35 millimetre Eastman Double-X camera, which makes the film feel vintage, as well as giving it some real visual character.
The opening credits are very old fashioned, something I was also a fan of. Sam Levinson directs this romantic drama, and makes sure to take advantage of his vintage camera. Some of the early scenes are well shot, particularly the dance sequence at the very beginning.
This feels like a short film, but is the feature length - that is not a criticism. Musician Labyrinth's choice of music is strong throughout. The two protagonists have strong chemistry, which is especially important considering they are the only two cast members in the entire film.
The dialogue feels realistic and believable, which is something that not all screenwriters can achieve. The characters legitimately feel as though they know each other intimately, which is refreshing.
The narrative is a one night snapshot of a complicated and intense relationship, it gets deeply personal and at times uncomfortably dark, but the dialogue still leads its way through its story.
It also takes aim at the world of cinematic storytelling with some vicious and clever takes on not only filmmaking but film critics too - said I; ironically critiquing the film's message. The film gets horrifyingly dark and serious at points, and what it makes it so dark is how real it feels.
The big criticism I have however, is that the ending falls somewhat flat. It didn't have a satisfying resolution - I realise sometimes that is the point, but here it didn't quite work for me.
Zendaya is one half of the cast, and man does she perform well. She expresses her character's emotions so viscerally and delivers some lines with such venom it is hard to comprehend that they aren't her truth.
Opposite her is Josh David Washington, who's ability to show his character's raw intensity and polarising traits is extremely impressive. The two actors worked and grinded to form a complex relationship tangled in thorns and roses.
Overall, I had next to no idea what this film would be like, but man was I impressed. It is all around a very good creation - particularly with its writing. It is definitely one of the best Netflix original films I've seen, and one you should certainly sit down to watch.
one hell of an amazing film, also i love how its not just a cliché happy ending, where they sugarcoat things. the film definitely has its dark moments, but sam definitely did his thing to portray how toxic relationships can be; very real and authentic.