To say that Malcolm & Marie is just a drama about a couple fighting with each other over the course of one night is a vast oversimplification. The layers to this film run deeper than the emotions of the title characters that play out on the screen and must be peeled back one at a time to truly understand its importance.

At its core, this is a film about a relationship, one that is tested by influences both internal and external. Malcolm (John David Washington) is an up and coming young film director who returns home after a film premier with his girlfriend Marie (Zendaya). He is on top of the world after receiving a number of accolades about his film, which focuses on the troubled life of a young girl addicted to drugs. While Malcolm is overjoyed about the reception, he is angry about the critical reaction, even before the reviews have been published. And to top it off, Marie is mad...about something.

​It has been said that art made within limitations often leads to better art and this couldn't be more true of Malcolm & Marie. Filmed entirely in one location during the summer of 2020 at the initial height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, it keeps things simple by letting the characters act and react on the screen before us. You won't find any quick camera moves here. There are no expensive special effects. The house itself is simple and the use of black and white as a medium is clearly intentional to keep the color textures simple, even though nothing in the content of the film is ever black and white.

The film itself is a roller coaster of emotion. Anyone who has ever been in a serious relationship likely knows many of the fights the pair have throughout the night and understands that the "initial problem" that starts the fight probably isn't the "actual problem." Both Zendaya and Washington have their moments to shine being equally raging and quiet, contemplative and emotional. They go from being sexy and intimate one moment, to screaming at each other and calling out terribly hurtful names the next. It feels real without being forced.

In the end, many people will see this as nothing more than a couple arguing on screen for two hours, but there is so much more to unpack here. In a world where nothing is certain, this feels like the most basic kind of uncertainty out there and one that everyone can relate to.

9 out of 10​​​​

Malcolm & Marie is available streaming exclusively on Netflix.

Just like the title suggests, this film is a great show piece, and while it attempts at finding a deeper meaning and message about acceptance and being oneself, the film ultimately falls a bit flat in telling the story of P. T. Barnum (P. T. Barnum) and his rise to circus fame.

Don't get me wrong, there are sequences in this film that look fantastic and the way things transition from one phase to the next is seamless. It's clear that the filmmakers took great pains to show the way Barnum's showmanship intersected with his personal life and vice versa. All of the typical circus sideshow oddities are there from the "bearded lady" to the "dog man" and everything in between. It was even a bit surprising that in the 21st century, these characters were treated as callously as they were at the beginning of the film, set up as being true oddities even though we have a much better understanding of the conditions that make people unique today.

The film shows a young Barnum working as a tailor's apprentice before meeting the girl of his dreams, the rich Charity Hallett (Michelle Williams). They marry and have two children before Barnum loses everything and opens his museum of wax figures in New York to dismal sales before eventually bringing in the "freak" performers. His willingness to employee these individuals is ridiculed by critics, but enjoyed by (most of) the public which eventually leads to bigger and bigger successes.

But despite all the spectacle, the film is terribly predictable. There are attempts at being profound and inspiring, but they are covered over with the music throughout, which often takes over scenes that feel like they should have a little more space to be quiet and breathe. The frenetic pace of the various performances and dance numbers make the 105 minute run-time feel stuffed full and forced.

That said, there are a few scenes where some brilliant acting shines through, specifically one very touching scene between Zendaya's trapeze artist Anne Wheeler and Zac Efron's Phillip Carlyle. Unfortunately, this only further exposes the problem plaguing the rest of the film by showing there can be quiet moments of reflection. Jackman's performance, while nothing extraordinary, is entertaining and fills the screen, proving who the true showman in this piece is.

6 out of 10​​​​

The Greatest Showman is available on Blu-ray, DVD, and on demand as well as streaming on Disney+.