Marriage Story Review
Netflix adds yet another string to its bow with two of the finest acting performances of the year in this film about the pains of divorce.
40 years after Kramer vs. Kramer came out and went on to win Best Picture, we get another film that tackles the difficulties and impacts of divorce in Marriage Story. Supposedly loosely based on director Noah Baumbach’s own personal experiences – Marriage Story is about Charlie (played by Adam Driver) and Nicole (played by Scarlett Johansson) deciding to separate and agreeing that it will be done in a smooth way so that their son, Henry, won’t be too badly affected by it all. But, of course, when the lawyers get involved things start to turn on its head and what was once agreed to be an amicable divorce, ultimately, gets a bit ugly.
This is a brilliantly crafted film that shows how devastating, expensive and difficult a divorce can be. But it is as good as it is because of its two lead actors. My goodness, Driver and Johansson give some of the best performances of the year. They each have their own individual moments of brilliance – when they’re breaking down or when they’re simply looking after their son. But, they also have some of the best scenes of the year together when they’re together and mainly, unfortunately, arguing. Divorce is a sad topic, there’s no way around this, and naturally they both want to get the best settlement agreement possible. With this, there comes huge verbal altercations between the two where both actors simply unleash a level of acting that is superior to most of their peers.
But that’s not really what this film is about. But rather, how a divorce actually happens and the legal dimensions it involves. Indeed, the lawyers, when they get involved actually make things worse. Things get a lot more personal and a lot more heated, but in a very indirect way. Those $900 an hour lawyers project their ruthless corporate mentality onto their clients and, in doing so, make the resentment between the two parties intensify. The actors who played their respective lawyers: Laura Dern, Alan Alda and Ray Liotta were all terrific. Dern, in particular, is very good and will almost definitely get a Best Supporting Actress nomination.
I’d be remise to not gush about how brilliantly this film is directed and told by Noah Baumbach. This film is gorgeous to look at and the cinematography is stunning. And while that is a very generic sentence to write I truly mean it. This is a film where there’s not much going on on-screen. Baumbach manages to make a scene of two people talking feel tense, emotional and a sight to behold. That, my friends, is talent. But, it also the style used throughout this film that I think many who watch it will salute. This film tells the story from both Charlie and Nicole’s perspectives. We get to spend time with both and see them both for their strengths and flaws as people. Neither is in the right nor the wrong, instead they’re just both two people who want to be a great parent to their child.
In a strange way this film reminds me a lot of La La Land – I know, weird. But, it is in an odd way simultaneously a love letter and a middle finger to the city of Los Angeles. Indeed, the east-coast and west-coast dynamics of the divorce are an integral part of this story. Especially for Nicole who wants to be a TV actress in LA, while Charlie hopes to direct a play on Broadway.
Randy Newman also offers a subtle yet charming and quirky score that fits like a hand in a glove for this film. It couldn’t have been more well suited for what Baumbach was going for. I think he’s highly likely to get an Oscar nomination for Best Score too. It is really good.
Once again, Netflix has given us one of the best films of the year. The ability to watch this at your own leisure cannot be understated but this film flows well and can be viewed in one sitting with such pleasure. This is a character study of two individuals and behind them, two terrific acting performances. I’ve yet to see Jojo Rabbit but Scar-Jo is crushing it, and Adam Driver is pretty much putting him forwards as one of the best actors on the planet right now. I think the Best Actor Oscar is a two horse race between Driver and Joaquin Phoenix for Joker. I think the latter will and should win it, but Driver is absolutely sensational.
This is a film about a rather unpleasant subject matter that is brilliantly told and worth the watch. There’s heartbreak, humour and hostility within this film and sometimes its simplicity is what made it so fantastic. A sure fire thing for one of the best made films of the year.