MALCOLM & MARIE, SAINT MAUD, HIGH FIDELITY plus my fav. songs of the week.
Entertaining Round-Up 05/02/2021
Happy Friday everyone! I hope you’re all doing great. This week I talk about Zandaya’s latest great performance. My favorite horror film of 2020 and a TV show that was canceled way too soon. Plus some songs I have been enjoying.
FILMS
MALCOLM & MARIE
MALCOLM & MARIE is a romantic drama film written and directed by Sam Levinson. The film stars John David Washington and Zendaya (as the title characters). The project was the first feature to be entirely written, financed, and produced during the COVID-19 pandemic, with filming taking place in June and July 2020. The film was self-financed by Levison and his wife, Ashley Levinson, and had a production budget of only $2.5 million. And it was bought by Netflix for $30 million.
The film is about a filmmaker and his girlfriend returning home after a celebratory movie premiere as he awaits what's sure to be an imminent critical and financial success. The evening suddenly takes a turn as revelations about their relationships begin to surface, testing the strength of their love. This premise was based on Levison's own experience where he forgot to thank his wife, at the premiere of his film, ASSASSINATION NATION.
So I have mixed feelings about Malcolm & Marie. It was brilliantly directed by Sam Levinson. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous and it was shot on black-and-white 35 mm film, which is a plus for me. Zendaya and John David Washington are outstanding and have great chemistry together. But Levinson's script is not good enough. I thought it was a bit self-indulgent and messy. Also, the film is very difficult to watch at times. The constant fighting between the characters is exhausting. But it was a great reminder of why I will never be in a relationship ever again.
Overall, if you are interested in a relationship drama or are simply a fan of Zendaya ( I know there are many of you out there) and John David Washington or if you are like me, a sucker for black and white cinematography. I would totally recommend it. But if none of these are your things, skip it.
SAINT MAUD
SAINT MAUD is a 2020 horror psychological thriller directed by Rose Glass. It follows Maud a reclusive young nurse that has recently found God. She arrives at a plush home to care for Amanda, a hedonistic dancer left frail from a chronic illness. Maud's fervent faith quickly inspires an obsessive conviction that she must save her ward's soul from eternal damnation, whatever the cost.
This is really well crafted. One could call it an arthouse horror. The director Rose Glass created a very viscerally uncomfortable but also very sad film. Technically the film is also amazing. Gorgeous cinematography, editing, and sound design. Acting is. really good too. Morfydd Clark is incredible in her role.
Saint Maud is very short, only 84 minutes, but easily one of the best horror films I've seen since Midsommar. My advice for this film is, go in as blind as you can. Avoid any kind of spoilers. I had a really good time watching it and I think most of you will as well.
TV
HIGH FIDELITY
This show was a contemporary re-imagination of the Nick Hornby novel of the same name.
I really liked the movie that was also based on the novel. But to my surprise, I ended up liking the TV series just as much. At first, I was skeptical about the idea of remaking this IP. However, the show is really good and it totally had me hooked from the pilot.
The plot is basically the same. The main difference is that it has a female lead. This is great because Zoe Kravitz is adorable and she really nailed her performance. She is excellent as Rob. The show looks good and is very faithful to the source material. Also, the music is amazing!
Unfortunately, HIGH FIDELITY was canceled by Hulu after only 1 season, which was a shame. It is crazy for me that we live in a world where BRIDGERTON is a massive success but HIGH FIDELITY could not get a second season. Go figure. Anyway, at least we have 10 episodes to enjoy Zoe Kravitz being as cool as a human being can possibly be.
Top 5 songs
These were the 5 songs on my heavy rotation this week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube
1 - Yuno - Somebody
2 - Monty Xon- Stuck In Reverse
3 - Papa Roach x Jeris Johnson - Last Resort Reloaded
4 - A Day To Remember - Everything We Need
5 - Yung 808 & Valid Point - Watch the World End