‘Malcolm & Marie’ Review: A Promising Premise With Disappointing Results
Sam Levinson's latest film can't keep up with the excellence of its performances.

Three prisoners, Combe from Rijeka, Menso from Bosnia, and Bogart from Belgrade, escape from prison. Their final destination is the city of their dreams - Hamburg. They temporarily part ways and agree to meet at the train station in Zagreb. First, each of them goes to his hometown. From there on, we follow three separate stories. In the first, Combe, in the shady harbor district of Rijeka, tries to get back at his former crime partner, Mrvi, who turned him in to the police. In the second story, we witness Mensa's relationship with his wife Riza and their children in a small Bosnian village. The third story depicts Bogart's love affair with a young teacher in a Belgrade suburb. Afterwards, at the train station in Zagreb, Bogart finds out from the newspaper that the police caught his friends. At the last minute, he changes the original plan.
Sam Levinson's latest film can't keep up with the excellence of its performances.
The film exhibits a respect for the craft and an empathy for human tribulations that have historically been ignored.
Four documentaries, now streaming on the Criterion Channel, embody the adopted slogan of the current protest movement: Woman, Life, Freedom
The relationship between the characters is what makes this film stand out, and it’s just all-around fun.