#samlevinson

Euphoria creator Sam Levinson brings to Netflix a black and white spectacle starring two of Hollywood’s most decorated actors, told over one night of revelation and heart ache between two people.

Whoever decided to put Zendaya and John David Washington alongside each other in a film deserves a raise and a big one at that. The two have been part of some of the biggest, most acclaimed pieces for screen and television over the past few years and in this story, their talent and purity for acting is blown up for us in all its details. 

Malcolm (Washington) and his girlfriend Marie (Zendaya) arrive home for what Malcolm recalls as the “biggest night of his life” after having released a film that has garnered critical acclaim. As the two waltz into their sophisticated accommodation for the night, Malcolm throws us right into his inflated mind as a filmmaker, someone who thinks highly of himself and wears this trait as a badge of honour. Meanwhile Marie is far from impressed, dainty smoking a cigarette outside and offering an outside perspective on his righteous spiel about what critics will make of his film, to which Marie points out he’s complaining about articles that haven’t even been written. This is the first example of many where Marie is afforded the upper hand of the argument and soon begins to digress the fact that Malcolm never thanked her in his speech. This detail is what surrounds the entire evening as Malcolm and Marie go head to head in a war on who should have earned the credit for the film in question.

The most enjoyable aspect of this film (despite the well put together language and black and white frames) was the way it made me feel. I was often left torn between the paradoxical arguments that both Malcolm and Marie expressed to one another and shocked from the harshness of their words. The script was incredibly written and the word play, musicality and deliverance of both actors certainly drove the film to the end and detracted from the simplicity of the film. Though both actors were phenomenal in their roles, Zendaya totally killed it in her performance and to see her in such a mature role was a gift in itself. John David Washington was the epitome of his father Denzel Washington in the way he manoeuvred his selfish and inflated ego all over the screen. Not to mention the ambitious and god damn BeAuTiFuL black and white shots that tied everything together in making this an extremely praiseworthy film. There were a few sporting moments of comedy that came through and relieved the suffering of the arguments as well as highlighting the bourgeois element to the film industry. Malcolm frequently refers to a “white LA reporter” of which he expects to misinterpret his film and make it about race. A common inclination in our film industry, as when black filmmakers step past bringing us accounts of racism on screen, they are either overly applauded or accused of somehow abandoning their own race. Marie points this out very spitefully, reminding Malcolm of his privilege and lack of ability to relate to those who have gone through actual struggles because of their race. 

Because of the strong language and dynamics portrayed in this closed spaced film, I was given the opportunity to really allow Malcolm & Marie’s words to sink in and think about the arbitrary behind the film industry. I am already a guilty member of this society by writing this review, seeing as films don’t actually matter and there are more important things in the world than misinterpreting Pulp Fiction. Yet still the argument goes in order to be an artist, you have to accept this part of yourself as a creator. I’m sure Levinson accepted this part when writing this film and it’s nothing to be ashamed of as Marie points out. There’s another example of how her strength prevails and I feel so lucky to be given a woman such as Zendaya on screen who is effortlessly vulnerable and strong at the same time in the work she does. This film truly made me idolise her and ponder her next pursuits in acting.

Sam Levinson is the son of Barry Levinson, famous for works such as Rain Man and Good Morning Vietnam. Levinson follows suit (but better) in his father’s career pursuits, having created the highly acclaimed series Euphoria, written and directed Assassination Nation for Netflix and helped produce Pieces of a Woman. Malcolm & Marie is the first film he’s written, directed and produced and with that, I believe Levinson has carved out a solid foundation for himself as a filmmaker, someone who goes leaps and bounds to rectify their opinions and emotions for powerful pieces on screen.