WandaVision, Malcolm & Marie, and Golden Globe noms
TV on TV and film on film, plus culture notes about Emily in Paris and I May Destroy You
Hello!
On this week’s episode of Criticism Is Dead, we discuss WandaVision and Malcolm & Marie, two “firsts” that have people buzzing for different reasons.
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03:22 WandaVision, Disney+’s first Marvel Cinematic Universe-based TV series, is a slow-drip fun watch, even for absolute non-MCU heads like us.
Full disclosure: We are possibly among the least qualified people to be able to talk about WandaVision from an fandom/MCU perspective.
That being said, as complete normies, we’re both enjoying this show because of its weekly cadence, its gradual peeling back of layers to reveal what’s actually going on, and its feel-good movie quality. Basically:
WandaVision is also interesting to talk about from an industry perspective. This is mask-off for Disney, which has long been accused of using MCU IP to just churn out movies for profit (duh). Now, with the accelerating streaming wars, they’re widening and deepening their cinematic universe by creating worlds within worlds that are all interconnected: You have to watch X to understand Y, which also requires back-knowledge of Z. It’s all deeply annoying but also obviously smart in terms of hooking in fans and making lots of $$$. Shit, it’s working!
19:01 Malcolm & Marie, Netflix’s first big feature film to be entirely created and filmed during the pandemic, is causing a bit of a stir among critics.
Conceived by Euphoria showrunner Sam Levinson at the behest of Zendaya, this black-and-white movie sticks two frustrated people in a beautiful house, and it’s off to the races: the entire story takes place over the course of one night, as this couple argue and reconcile and blow up again over topics like Malcolm’s new film, the filmmaking industry, their relationship, and each other.
One of the reasons that critics are not in love with Malcolm & Marie is because of the anti-critic bait that Levinson seems to have intentionally(?) set. He has Malcolm rail against the fact that Black filmmakers’ work is read as inherently politic and must be considered authentic/necessary/timely/etc. in order to exist and receive critical attention. That’s true, sure, but Malcolm continues on his diatribe, saving most of his vitriol for a “white female critic from the LA Times.” Funnily enough, Levinson’s film Assassination Nation was criticized by a white female critic from the LA Times. Levinson seems to be airing his personal vendetta, as a white male filmmaker, against a white female critic, through the mouth of a Black male filmmaker. Kinda cringe!
It’s a shame that that overshadowed the rest of the film, because there was the potential for it to have more interesting things to say about the idea of artist vs. muse, as framed through Malcolm and Marie’s relationship.
Pelin, for the record, liked this film. I thought it was kinda boring, even disregarding all the other stuff. Your mileage may vary! (Here’s a razor-sharp, damning review of it by Angelica Jade Bastién, btw. You don’t have to agree with it to admire the writing.)
Maybe the best thing the film has done is created Discourse and a bunch of funny tweets:
38:41 Plus, culture notes about the weird nature of Golden Globe noms, the snub everyone's talking about, and the need to watch better stuff.
This is the funniest thing: “I’m a writer on Emily in Paris. I May Destroy You deserved a Golden Globe nomination.” (a real op-ed on the Guardian)
And, of course, this:
(Y’all it’s fake.)
Btw this is what we’re talking about on the pod:
And remember:
Bonus links
Really smart essay on Fran Lebowitz: “The arts are full of big guys and little guys but Lebowitz is the worst type of guy: the big guy that insists he’s a little one.” (This newsletter is great btw, recommend subscribing.)
A profile, of sorts, of hot respectful Korean king Steven Yeun.
Oh god this story about a nightmare roommate in New York.
I—
Sorry to be like this but I’m plugging some “real” “work” of mine: Interviews with five people who are experiencing a loss/distortion of taste after COVID-19. I made them keep food diaries!
Also wrote about internet culture under Trump for the Drift mag, sorry!
And just for fun:
Okay bye!
— Jenny
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Some credits:
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu