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PAGE 22 • GO! MAGAZINE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021 • THE BULLETIN MOVIES & SHOWTIMES bendbulletin.com/gowatch Messy relationship makes messy movie BY MAKENZIE WHITTLE The Bulletin More Information W riter-director Sam Levinson flips the bird to critics in the Netflix original “Malcolm and Marie.” The two-hander — conceived, written, filmed and edited all during quarantine — stars John David Washington and Zen- daya (who is incredible) as the title charac- ters who return to their cool, modern glass house after the premiere of Malcolm’s latest film, which he wrote and directed. He’s on the highest high, streaming James Brown over the home’s surround sound system while Marie sets off first for the bathroom and then for the kitchen, where she boils water to make Kraft macaroni and cheese. Malcolm waxes on about how the crowd loved it, how the critics ate it up and the white reviewers called him the next insert- name-of-Black-filmmaker-here. He laughs at their ignorance, their avoid- ance of comparing him to someone like William Wyler instead relegating him to an- other director of color. Soon he realizes that while Marie is listen- ing, she’s not nearly as excited as he is about the night. As it turns out, Malcolm forgot to thank her during his speech before the screening. She’s upset but mentions that nothing good would come out of anything said that night. While this line is foreshadowing the events to follow, it’s also foreshadowing the effect the film has. Nothing good comes out of it. Bend’s boutique medical spa... û nding beauty in the details. New location! “Malcolm & Marie” 106 minutes Rated R for pervasive language and sexual content õõöö Netflix Zendaya and John David Washington in a scene from “Malcolm and Marie” streaming on Netflix. The couple begins arguing about every- thing from credit, Marie’s past addictions and transgressions and Malcolm’s motiva- tions for sticking with her, coming down to moments of some levity and clarity for both of them in between shouting matches that would wake the neighbors, if they had any. But the crux of the film, instead of being about Malcolm and Marie’s five-year rela- tionship — which does feels reasonable and authentic — is more about the interpreta- tion of art and filmmaking. Levinson, a white filmmaker who had G T E XT IN QU S 541.209.0075 IRIE e e Reporter: 541-383-0304, mwhittle@bendbulletin.com Romances to put you in the mood for Valentine’s Day BY MAKENZIE WHITTLE The Bulletin 525 NW Colorado Ave recent success with “Euphoria” on HBO, throws his characters into a constant ebb and flow of arguing and hurting one an- other. But what’s said is not constructive to their relationship; instead, most of it involves Malcolm railing on the state of criticism in the film industry notably against white crit- ics, specifically a woman at the Los Angeles Times who gave him a bad review once. It’s frustrating to try and sit through one lengthy monologue after another with ar- guments that feel more petulant than a con- structive exploration of filmmaking, Black filmmakers and the question of authenticity. And there is a lot that can be argued about criticism in the film industry, but Levinson misses the point every single time. Malcolm doesn’t necessarily delve into the state of their relationship. Instead Wash- ington is used as a conduit to deliver the scathing remarks Levinson wants out there, seemingly laying out that he and the film are above reproach in some way. He feels like that guy in the MFA film program that you just want to slap across his face when he tries to lecture you on Quentin Tarantino. Add in the fact that the film is far too long, which makes it even more uninterest- ing and nearly unwatchable. It’s loquacious and impassioned, but the powerhouse performance can’t save this battle from being too self-absorbed in its metatheatrics to allow “Malcolm and Marie” to stick to the viewer. et in the mood for Valentine’s Day Sunday with these sexy and sweet romances. Or curl up with your cho- sen favorite pint of ice cream and relish that #singlelife while watching all the drama that comes with relationships, knowing that you don’t have to deal with it. Continuing on from last week’s list cele- brating Black voices, here are five love sto- ries featuring African American writers, di- rectors and actors to watch this week. “Love & Basketball” (2000) — The com- edy-drama finds itself in the special spot of being both a sports movie and a love story. Q (Omar Epps) and Monica (Sanaa Lathan) grow up together dreaming of being basket- ball pros. Over the course of the movie’s four quarters, we see their relationship deepen and break but their drive to make it never ceases. Writer-director Gina Prince-Bythe- wood weaves a brilliant story told mostly from Monica’s perspective that tunes into the emotions behind the game rather than the play-by-play action all while showcas- ing tantalizing chemistry between its leads. Stream it on HBO Max or rent it from Am- azon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube. “Moonlight” (2016) — Not only is the Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning film a love story of sorts, but it is also a brilliant and beautifully done coming-of-age story. High- lighting three phases of the main character’s Continued on next page