How using a black actor to vent white frustration sinks Malcolm & Marie

Sam Levinson’s black and white Netflix two-hander turns into a self-indulgent excuse to whine about his critics through the mouthpiece of John David Washington

A director by the name of Malcolm (John David Washington) and his partner, Marie (Zendaya), arrive home from Malcolm’s big film premiere. It’s a celebratory night toasted by drinks, music, and mac and cheese. However, all is not well between the two.

While the main row between the couple concerns how much Malcolm values Marie, Malcolm’s distaste for white critics also arises, leading to a bevy of loaded rants. Directed by Sam Levinson, the creator of Euphoria and son of Barry Levinson, the black-and-white melodrama Malcolm & Marie, now available on Netflix, initially has good intentions – defending black art – but once Levinson begins positing his gripes through Malcolm, a black man, his sincere aims trend toward being selfishly malicious.

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There are too many instances of Levinson speaking through Malcolm to name, which speaks to the repetitiveness of Malcolm & Marie. But in every disingenuous instance of Levinson airing his laundry through this black man, is the hope that white critics will see enough of themselves in the LA Times journalist to therefore go easy on Levinson’s present film. That undercurrent detracts from many of the salable points he brings up: white critics approaching black art through the lens of importance rather than black art being important in of itself. However, Levinson makes Malcolm & Marie, in its self-victimizing, the cinematic equivalent of having your chocolate cake and eating it too.

Words from https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/feb/05/malcolm-and-marie-sam-levinson-netflix-john-david-washington-zendaya ,

Definitely recommend checking out the movie and sharing your thoughts!