John David Washington is quickly becoming one of the most important actors of his generation,
and in Malcolm & Marie, we get to see him explore an impressive range of human emotions
as he and Zendaya share the screen in a tale of a couple in crisis.
Washington stars in the film as Malcolm, a director on the precipice of a career breakthrough
after his movie premieres to high praise from the critics in attendance. As joyful as he
is, though, Malcolm soon learns that Marie is in no mood to celebrate with him. Despite
the fact that Marie has inspired and informed the central character of his film, Malcolm
neglected to include her in his thank you speech earlier in the evening, and she is
beyond hurt by this omission.
Not only has Malcolm neglected to acknowledge her contributions to the film on this night,
but Marie also believes he's taken her for granted throughout the course of their relationship.
So the conversation that stems from his accidental insult becomes a heartrending exploration
of the many highs and lows of their relationship, with Malcolm and Marie each taking turns as
the aggressor of the argument.
Malcolm & Marie is full of exquisite scene work by both Washington and Zendaya, who both
shine in their roles. And the moment when they discuss Marie's own career sacrifices
in particular showcases the breadth of Washington's talents as a performer.
By this point in the film, Marie has accused him of belittling
her over their years together. At first, he attempts to make peace by admitting
that her life is influential to his work, but their respite is short-lived.
Amid a moment of passion, Malcolm whispers that Marie should never have given up her
acting career, and while he means it as a compliment, she heads outside and starts to
stew on his words.
When Marie returns to continue the conversation, she's ready for round two - but this time,
Malcolm is poised to fight back.
After Marie accuses Malcolm of not actually wanting her to have her own work life because
of his complete commitment to his own career, he hits back with a comeback of his own.
"Oh, so you gave up a fucking career in acting to be an emotional fucking support dog."
"Fuck you Malcolm."
"I get it now, all right."
From this moment on, it's clear that Malcolm is finished being on the defensive, and he's
ready to truly tangle with Marie in this war of words.
Washington's ability to make such a seamless pivot to new posturing is something we have
seen from him before, particularly in his performance as Ricky Jerret on Ballers, which
featured him dropping all pretenses to get to the heart of the matter on multiple memorable
occasions. Here, his decision to engage is jarring, exciting, and a bit unnerving -- all
at once.
As the epic argument commences in Malcolm & Marie, Washington and Zendaya begin a complicated
dance of dialogue. Washington is particularly swift with his line delivery throughout this
scene, as Malcolm insists that not only does he want Marie to have a career, but he's afraid
of what might happen to her if she doesn't have one.
At the same time, he's run out of patience for her excuses and finger-pointing and, in
what seems like a single breath, Malcolm delivers a powerhouse monologue:
"You know, I get it, I really do. You have pain and fucking disappointment and dreams
like everybody else on planet Earth. You're mad that you didn't get the jobs you wish
you got. You're embarrassed that you had to play 'skinny girl in alley' and 'concerned
nurse number two.' Well, guess what? None of us are proud of where we first start off.
I started off, I had to do token fucking punchups on straight-to-VOD rom-coms and under the
table rewrites on films that didn't even want to fucking pay writers. But you keep working.
You keep on trying. You work harder and harder, 'cause even if you're not talented, which
you are, you can still get somewhere, as long as you don't have a fuckin' ego. You don't
have to be proud of everything you do! "
As this breathless diatribe continues, Washington's performance somehow becomes even more energized
and determined. With each new line he speaks, it's clear that Washington's monologue skills
are second to none. Fans previously got a taste for the actor's gift for gab in his
celebrated turn as Officer Ron Stallworth in BlackKklansman, a character who succeeds
because of his way with words. In Malcolm & Marie, though, he's balancing that verbosity
with some very intense emotional expressions as well.
Even when Malcolm is fully fired up in his quarrel with Marie, Washington still imbues
the character with a bit of vulnerability. As the scene continues, Malcolm reminds Marie
of some of the specific ways he has been supportive of her over the years, including being both
present and patient with her during her recovery process.
"I checked you into rehab. I went to group therapy with you. I've been with you. I fucking
supported you every single step of the way. When you were depressed, when you were on
so many meds that you couldn't fuck for half a year, I was there for you. When you relapsed,
I was there for you. When we lived on 38th street and you went out to that meeting, right?
And you went to the meeting and you didn't come home because you were fucking somebody
else, right? Guess who was there for you? This n---- right here."
Washington and Zendaya each slowly unpack the complexities of their characters throughout
Malcolm & Marie, and every time the audience learns something new about them, the dynamic
of the story shifts just a bit. Neither of them are villains or victims, and Washington's
ability to layer even his harshest words with a hint of softness makes for a complicated
performance you simply can't look away from.
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