In Noah Baumbach’s newest feature, Marriage Story, opens the soon to be separated Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) are asked to write a list of what they love about each other to ease them into what they hope to be an amicable process of disconnecting their intricately merged lives. If asked to write a list of what there is to love about this film, there would be too much to say.
This is a film entirely based on perspective. No two viewers will experience it in the same way, which is part of what makes it so impactful. Personally, throughout the course of the film, I found myself wanting to take a stance in support of either of the struggling divorcees. Part of me identified with the woman who felt constrained within the shadow of the man who is both her director and her husband. Another part of me felt so deeply for the man who wanted nothing more than to be a good father whilst still maintaining his career as the moment he has worked for years to achieve finally arrives. What took me a fair chunk of the two-odd hour runtime to realize is that, like life, nothing in this film is black and white. Both characters have their vices and follies but it is easy to see the good intentions that lie at the center of who they really are and what they want from their marriage. Ultimately, they are just two different people who eventually grew apart in very fundamental ways. The snag, as well as the thing they seem to value the most, is their son, Henry. While they both want what’s best for their son, they both long for the best to be with them in their respective cities.
The location-jumping narrative structure and pace that switches in an instant from intense drama and action to light-hearted musical numbers creates a tension that will fill any space and elicit such visceral reactions that it will feel as if you are right in the middle of a tense legal battle with them. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson deliver performances that will define their careers. Having been given the space to flex their dramatic chops alongside the occasional need for comedic timing places them in an early lead for the 2020 Oscars race. Laura Dern and Ray Liotta also stun as intense, take-no-prisoners legal council who will stop at nothing to prove that their client deserves the most sympathy out of the pair. Ultimately, the decision is left to the viewer; and if you’re anything like me, that decision will be nearly impossible to make.
The story that Baumbach has created is heart-rending with an occasional tender moment dashed in to break up the pain that translates through the screen like a swift gut-punch. With an all star cast to boot, this is a film that will leave you reeling for days to come. To top it all off, you can enjoy the harrowing ups and downs the Barber divorce from the comfort of your own living room as it was released to the world through Netflix in the early hours of December 6th. So go – laugh, cry, and marvel in the modern cinematic love story that is Marriage Story.’
4.5/5 STARS