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

Sam Levinson's latest film can't keep up with the excellence of its performances.
Director Martin Scorsese broadens his boundaries from mafia-driven movies, to a Buddhist biopic of the 14th Dalai Lama. While Buddhism strives for peace, ‘Kundun’ reveals the violence inflicted on Tibetan Buddhists and Scorsese’s depiction of violence does not stray away.
Strangers in a crowd, exchanging glances, looking away, continually managing to run into each other then part ways, end up at the same diner, find they've rented the exact same vehicles, and are then made to travel together to learn once more whether they can both find genuine adoration and companionship again. This really does, in so many words, sum up the foundational gist of of this new feature film from writer Seth Reiss ("The Menu") and director Kogonada ("The Acolyte", "After Yang"). Yet, it's all only the set-up for the REAL wonder of everything that happens before, during, and in the aftermath of a magical, meaningful journey.
The Legendary Clades - a family of explorers - find themselves in a strange new world with fantastic creatures awaiting them. Perhaps their greatest challenge will be healing the ties that bond.
This short film was an overall creative success.