“I feel like once you know someone is there for you and once you know they love you; you never actually think of them again.”
A director on the brink of stardom and his girlfriend with a tumultuous past navigate the complexities of love, respect, and fame over the course of one night that could seal the fate of their relationship.
Despite the brilliant black and white cinematography of Sam Levinson, and the magnificence of Malcolm & Marie (played by John David Washington & Zendaya respectively), this is not a fantastical tale of romance and happiness. It is a story of two flawed human beings who hark back to the entirety of their tragic lives and delve into their past decisions- as individuals and lovers- to determine the series of choices and actions that led them to this night of broken harmony.
Furthermore, the leading characters of this film are both Black. Notice how that hasn’t been the driving force of this narrative? Generally, movies with Black leads tend to radicalize their skin color and focus all their energy on exploring the characters’ lives through the lens of race. On the contrary, this masterpiece delves into the struggles and pain of the protagonists through the lens of humanity. While there have been relevant mentions of the deplorable hurdles that Black people have to surpass, the narrative does not revolve around race and revolution. It focuses on the mundane convolutions of relationships, the intricacies of humans, and the depth of the pain they can inflict.
Moreover, the realities of substance abuse, narcissism and insecurities are brought to life on-screen with a semblance of poetry and an air of romance. With excruciatingly honest and heart-breaking characterization and storylines, viewers are forced to confront the abyss of suffering and sentiment that they keep locked away. The audience’s emotional floodgates of baggage and trauma are burst open upon the comprehension of the catastrophic messages and moments of this groundbreaking film.
On the other hand, I acknowledge that the article thus far may have been misleading, so let me be absolutely clear- this is not a casual movie suggestion or review. I do not simply recommend that you watch this film to fill your quota of procrastination or entertainment (whatever you want to call it). I implore you to consider the plethora of implications that consuming content depicting this level of anguish may have on your lives at the moment.
Although I was moved to tears upon my viewing of this movie, I understand how unsettling and unnecessarily heavy this movie could be for those trying to combat the consequences of coronavirus on their mental health. Therefore, if you’re reading this in the hopes of grasping the nature of this critically acclaimed film, be warned that it has not been curated purely for entertainment purposes. Instead, it compels you to reflect on your persona and relationships, hence forcing you to reach within the depth of your agony and feel everything you have since suppressed.
“You can’t imagine the reason I’m with you is that I love you.”
Written By: Jiya Kathuria
Edited By: Ishani Patil
Designed By: Aradhya Poddar
