Every year the Awards Season has a late bloomer in the game that disrupts the norm and becomes a focal point of conversation between Oscar pundits. Last year, 1917 almost took that late-game momentum to the Oscar stage as it came quite close to winning Best Picture. This year’s Oscar season is no different as Netflix is set to release Malcolm & Marie. This film immediately enters the conversation as to how many nominations it can attain on nomination morning.
The story behind Malcolm & Marie is quite interesting as Netflix purchased the rights for the film for $30 million after just a promo of John David Washington and Emmy winning Zendaya to seal the deal on Sam Levinson’s film, which in turn shows the marketing strength of the film.
Filmed during the pandemic in 2020, Malcolm & Marie was shot entirely in one apartment in Carmel, California, and used a small crew to avoid any potential spread of the virus. In the film, John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman) plays Malcolm, a filmmaker who has just shown his recent film to critics for the first time. As Malcolm and his girlfriend Marie (Zendaya) return home from the premiere in good spirits, an argument soon breaks out, which leads to some of the most electric performances over the past 13 months.
Washington and Zendaya bring their A-game to the forefront as the two handle the film’s entire load as there are no other characters in the movie outside their titular characters. While utterly demanding, they meet the challenge and evoke magnetic chemistry vaguely seen from first-time duos on the screen that requires every inch of the audience’s attention. We are rewarded watching as flies-on-the-wall two self-involved individuals working on their relationship while uncovering unfamiliar feelings that will either make or break their relationship.
Gone is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Zendaya, and in-comes a raw, emotional performance that may culminate in landing her an Academy Award nomination. When it comes to John David Washington, cinephiles are familiar with his performances thus far, but despite his outstanding work in films such as BlacKkKlansman, this may be his best performance. With monologues that are sure to leave film Twitter buzzing, Washington aims at film critics, the film industry, and an inside look at what filmmakers feel about those different entities. While it surely will split critics that take those criticisms to heart, JDW’s performance should be on everyone’s radar come awards season.
On the technical aspect side, the choice to use black-and-white 35mm film aids in providing both a vintage aesthetic and tone, which is masterfully shot by Marcell Rév and creates a beautiful, stunning film that aids in the film’s effectiveness. Along with Rev’s cinematography, Sam Levinson’s script should also be praised. Thanks to Levinson’s sharp dialogue, the silly Twitter banter regarding the duo’s 12-year age gap can be put to rest as the two are believable as an item thanks to both their chemistry and Levinson’s script.
Without Zendaya and Washington’s outstanding performances, Malcolm & Marie may not have been as influential and entirely forgettable. However, the final product delivers a raw, unfiltered emotional rollercoaster that may make other couples viewing this film wonder what skeletons are hiding in their closets. For that reason alone, Malcolm & Marie can’t be missed.
