Love Patterns: Malcolm & Marie

Just don't take me for granted

A monumental night for their careers transforms into a cyclone of emotions that unravels the skeletons in their partnership. 

Stumbling with joy through their lovely accommodation, the first emotion Marie fixates on is the arrogance he spreads before any reviews were published. When the reviews went live, the film had been described as political. Malcolm feels that just because a story is portrayed with a black cast, it must be politically charged. He does agree that the obstacles black women go through are clearly evident. Nevertheless, the story was about the shame and guilt that come with the obstacles we all go through. Taylor’s performance was able to capture the vulnerability of those battles with beauty and depth. 

"That's why you stuck by me. Because I was a story"

Her point about her not overreacting and composing herself through all his efforts is how we get taken for granted in relationships. For him to be insulting her over mac and cheese shows his subconscious ways of not respecting her. How he handles everyone else with respect to getting to where he's trying to go is the height of egoism. Malcolm retaliates with the time he endured nursing her through her relapses, affairs and how much it took for him not to give up. His entitlement to 'saving her' may come from a personality that grew on the notion that she will be rewarded through his artistic endeavours.

As she thinks back to the highlights of their relationship she realises her life for him was a story he could document. From both sides they're right. The lack of thanks and how his sheltered life boxed him in from finding his own individuality is why she thinks he borrowed her story because he didn't have one. She states he committed a spiritual theft. Her vulnerability was probably at it's peak when she accepted her woes were all the story she had and them working on it together, may have healed them in the process but Malcolm got the better deal.

Her thoughts about how she's perceived are a bold stand against being a battery for someone. It does pose the question, were his traits that well hidden when she was being fixed by him. It's devastating how much this translates through what's going on today. The black, white and jazz theme adds to a soulful dilemma but the stars display the baggage we carry, being concerned with glory rather than substance.

Take people for granted and you'll damage yourself in the long run. Playing games and using people falsely to elevate your ego will always lead to your downfall and will expose your real capability of loving yourself. A codependent relationship will always lead to destruction. Some people are not in relationships, they are using people as supporting roles in their story. Sticking by people with a variety of complexes thinking we are saving each other, maybe that's insane.

Everyone has their flaws, listen to people who keep you grounded, and use their wisdom, experience and resources to help you see as clearly as you can about the situations you're in. Choose those who are diligently working on themselves so you both live in your own Garden of Eden.