By Ben Davis
Marriage Story is written and directed by Noah Baumbach, stars Adam Driver as Charlie and Scarlet Johansson as Nicole, and follows them from what starts out as a separation to a grueling coast-to-coast divorce, pushing them to their financial and personal extremes.
I’m often very cautious about movies that have a lot of buzz surrounding them on the awards circuit. There’s been a lot of awards buzz surrounding Marriage Story ever since it premiered at the Venice Film Festival on August 29th, 2019. I thought from the initial trailer that Marriage Story would be amazing, but I guess you could say I’m a bit of a pessimist when it comes to hearing not just good, but outrageously good reviews. Having now seen Marriage Story I can confirm that all that buzz and positive word of mouth was completely warranted. From beginning to end, Marriage Story is a flawless film about two people who fell in love who just weren’t right for each other.
Marriage Story has a lot of strengths, but the biggest strength it has is the writing. Noah Baumbach delivers an exceptionally well-written script that feels inherently authentic. The dialogue isn’t wasted and has a purpose that usually holds a deeper meaning. Each character—no matter how big or small—is very well written and complex. Marriage Storyresists the urge to make someone the villain of the story and instead shows just how ugly and complicated the divorce system is, and how it can bring out the worst in people. I appreciated this approach as it makes you feel for all people that are in this very difficult situation.
Noah Baumbach proves that not only is he an exceptional writer, he is also an outstanding director. The long single takes of dialogue really engage you with the characters and their respective growth throughout the film. It is a very important factor in understanding the main characters of the story and the nature of their marriage, as well as why that marriage didn’t work. This dialogue work also helps to showcase the brilliance of the actors; it brings you in so that you can identify each individual emotion the characters experience in real time.
As I’ve stated in my previous review for The Report, Adam Driver is the single greatest actor of his generation. This holds true in Marriage Story. Driver delivers one of the more subtle and emotional performances I’ve ever had the privilege of watching. Charlie is a flawed character (self centered being his biggest flaw to the marriage) but you definitely understand his frustration and his pain with everything going on around him. The way Charlie becomes more broken as the film plays out is heartbreaking to watch. This is because Adam Driver delivers a top-notch performance that will rival Joaquin Phoenix for Joker for Best Actor at The Academy Awards.
Scarlet Johansson is also excellent in this movie. Johansson delivers the best performance of her entire illustrious career as Nicole. Nicole is a flawed person but you definitely understand her frustration with feeling like she’s never heard and feeling unseen. The way Nicole becomes more alive as the film goes on is bittersweet (as all new beginnings are). Don’t be too surprised if she has gold on her mantel when this awards season is over.
Laura Dern as Nora Fanshaw and Ray Liotta as Jay are both terrific as the fierce, cutthroat, and ruthless divorce attorneys. You understand why they have to be the way they are, but you still go away feeling gross having dealt with them. Laura Dern in particular does seem to stand out more as she has more to do as a character, but my god is she not great in Marriage Story. She’s the snake in the grass kind of character that you just don’t fully trust and she plays it so well.
She is, in my humble opinion, the odds-on favorite to win Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards.
Without giving anything away, the “boiling over” scene—as I like to call it—is up there with the best scene of pure acting I’ve seen all year. It’s cathartic for the characters, for you as an audience member, and it breaks your heart in an all “too real” way. It’s relatable in the sense that we’ve all said things in the heat of the moment that have later made us feel sick and it drops you to your knees. Again, as the year closes I find it difficult to find a better showcase of pure raw emotion and acting range than this scene.
In conclusion, Marriage Story is a heartbreaking film about marriage and the dark side of trying to make things work when you know deep down they won’t. It’s challenging, thoughtful, emotionally raw, and a flawlessly executed motion picture bolstered by a terrific script, excellent direction, and phenomenal performances.