Malcolm & Marie

Malcolm & Marie is a 2021 American black-and-white romantic drama film written and directed by Sam Levinson. The film stars John David Washington and Zendaya (who both also produced) as the title characters, a director and his girlfriend, whose relationship is tested on the night of his latest film's premiere. The project was the first Hollywood feature to be entirely written, financed, and produced during the COVID-19 pandemic, with filming taking place in secret in June and July 2020.[2]

Malcolm & Marie
Official release poster
Directed bySam Levinson
Produced by
Written bySam Levinson
Starring
  • Zendaya
  • John David Washington
Music byLabrinth
CinematographyMarcell Rév
Edited byJulio C. Perez IV
Production
company
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • February 5, 2021 (2021-02-05) (United States)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2.5 million[1]

Malcolm & Marie was released in a limited release on January 29, 2021, before being released digitally on February 5, 2021, by Netflix. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Zendaya and Washington's performances and Levinson's direction, but criticized the screenplay.

Premise

Film director Malcolm Elliott returns home from his film premiere with his girlfriend Marie Jones. Their relationship is tested when they discuss the film, their lives, the film industry, and society.

Cast

Production

At the time, Sam Levinson and Zendaya were both involved in the HBO show Euphoria, which had stopped production due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the two discussed the possibility and idea of making a feature film project during the pandemic. Levinson pitched several projects to Zendaya, including a psychological thriller they would film at her home. He then began to come up with "a relationship piece that plays out in real time."[3]

John David Washington joined the project after Levinson read 10 pages of dialogue to Washington over the phone, saying "I couldn’t believe it. It was beautiful words I heard, and at the same time very disturbing with visceral confrontations."[4]

After receiving approval from the Writers Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America, the film began principal production from June 17 to July 2. Shooting took place entirely at the Caterpillar House, a private home in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. The film followed local COVID-19 safety protocols, including the entire cast and crew being quarantined during shooting, as well as two weeks before and after shooting, daily temperature checks, and increased sanitation measures.[5][2][6] The crew included many members of the Euphoria crew, including cinematographer Marcell Rév and production designer Michael Grasley. Both Washington and Zendaya were responsible for doing their own makeup and picking out their own costumes, as there were no makeup artists or costume designer on set. No more than 12 people were allowed on set at a time. The production also had to be kept very confined so that the cast and crew could remain undisturbed during shooting. The film was shot on black-and-white 35 mm film.[5]

Release

In September 2020, Netflix acquired distribution rights to the film for $30 million, outbidding companies such as HBO, A24 and Searchlight Pictures.[5] It was released theatrically in select theaters on January 29, 2021, before being released on Netflix on February 5, 2021.[7][8]

Reception

Critical response

According to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 58% of 156 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Malcolm & Marie's ambitions aren't always satisfactorily fulfilled, but its flaws are often offset by the strong chemistry between the film's stars."[9] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 53 out of 100, based on 41 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[10]

Writing for Variety, Peter Debruge said "Levinson gives his stars roughly equal time, carefully modulating the sense of balance throughout. His direction seldom seems showy, and yet, we sense the intention behind each cut as power and control shifts throughout the movie."[11] David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a grade of C+ and wrote that "Sam Levinson's exasperatingly gorgeous Malcolm & Marie is a lot like the two people who lend its title their names: confident and insecure in equal measure, stuffed to the gills with big ideas but convinced of nothing beyond its own frenzied existence, and reverent of Hollywood's past at the same time it's trying to stake a new claim for its future."[8] Charles Bramesco of Little White Lies criticised the film for being an "awkward, hideously overacted talkathon" scoring the film with a 1/5 rating.[12]

Accolades
Award Date Category Recipients Result Ref.
Hollywood Critics Association February 5, 2021 Best Actress Zendaya Pending [13]
Santa Barbara International Film Festival February 3, 2021 Virtuosos Award Won [14]

References
  1. Fleming Jr, Mike (January 8, 2021). "Zendaya, John David Washington & Director Sam Levinson Enter Awards Fray Today With Pandemic-Shot Drama 'Malcolm & Marie'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  2. D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 8, 2020). "How Zendaya, John David Washington & 'Euphoria' Creator Sam Levinson Started & Finished A Secret Movie During The Pandemic". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  3. Fleming Jr, Mike (January 8, 2021). "Zendaya, John David Washington & Director Sam Levinson Enter Awards Fray Today With Pandemic-Shot Drama 'Malcolm & Marie'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  4. Davis, Clayton (January 12, 2021). "John David Washington on Zendaya's Versatility and Why He 'Desperately Needed' to Make 'Malcolm & Marie'". Variety. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  5. Fleming Jr, Mike (September 13, 2020). "Netflix Closes $30 Million Deal For 'Malcolm & Marie' Off Promo; Sam Levinson Lockdown-Shot Drama Stars Zendaya & John David Washington: Toronto". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  6. Crichton, Maddie (July 9, 2020). "Zendaya, John David Washington, and "Euphoria" Creator Film Secret Movie During Coronavirus Pandemic". Rogue Rocket. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  7. Feinberg, Scott (December 5, 2020). "Netflix's 'Malcolm & Marie,' With Zendaya and John David Washington, Drops Into Oscar Race (Exclusive)". Netflix Junkie. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  8. Ehrlich, David (January 22, 2021). "'Malcolm & Marie' Review: John David Washington and Zendaya Find Beauty in a Bad Romance". IndieWire. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  9. "Malcolm & Marie (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  10. "Malcolm & Marie Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  11. Debruge, Peter (January 22, 2021). "'Malcolm & Marie' Review: Zendaya and 'Euphoria' Creator Reteam on Revealing Netflix Drama". Variety. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  12. Bramesco, Charles (January 22, 2021). "Malcolm & Marie review – Awkward, hideously overacted talkathon". Little White Lies. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  13. Menzel, Scott (February 2, 2021). "The 4th Annual HCA Film Awards Nominations Have Been Announced". Hollywood Critics Association. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  14. "RIZ AHMED, MARIA BAKALOVA, KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR, ANDRA DAY, SIDNEY FLANIGAN, VANESSA KIRBY, TAHAR RAHIM, AND ZENDAYA VIRTUOSOS AWARD PRESENTED BY UGG®". Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
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