Marriage Story

Marriage Story

Starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, Alan Alda

Directed by Noah Baumbach

Divorce is never easy, and it's something that permanently fractures the lives of everyone involved, no matter how well-meaning they might mean.  "Marriage Story" is a deeply personal film written and directed by Noah Baumbach (based off his divorce from Jennifer Jason-Leigh), delivered by acclaimed actors who elevate their performances to career-defining greatness, and is unparalleled in the humanity of divorce and the realistic portrayal of what it can do, while never offering a full-fledged villain.

Charlie Barber (Adam Driver) is a driven New York City theater director whose latest play will be performed on Broadway, but he's also a bit narcissistic and demanding, a man who seemingly only looks out for himself, yet he's also remarkably creative and talented.  Nicole Barber (Scarlett Johansson) once had a career in Hollywood before giving it up to move to New York to be with Charlie and give birth to their son Henry (Azhy Robertson), but she also stars in Charlie's plays, never closes a cabinet door, and intensely loves and adores her son.  The opening moments of the film introduces us to these characters through the lens of their significant other and fully fleshes out their backstory effectively and personally, already cementing their characters in our minds as two regular people going through the most difficult moment of their lives: divorce.

At first the two remain friends and don't want to get lawyers involved, but when Nicole announces that she's taking Henry and moving to Hollywood to be closer to her mother (Julie Hagerty) and sister (Merritt Weaver) - as well as taking on an acting gig in a television show pilot - Charlie is obviously unnerved by it.  He expected her to stay in New York with him so he can continue his dreams, but that's not what Nicole wants, and so she enlists high-powered attorney Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern) to plead her case in court.  Charlie is shocked and can't find a lawyer of his own until he finds three-time divorcee Bert Spitz (Alan Alda), and the gloves come off in shocking, deeply saddening ways that will leave neither one unscathed.

"Marriage Story" is a powerful, thoughtful, and mesmerizing piece of cinema, and is easily one of the best of the year due to the pitch-perfect direction, solid story, and captivating performances.  Noah Baumbach treats the film like a play, and each set piece is carefully designed to give that sense of live-action play a sense of realism.  We see characters coming and going through rooms without snippy edits, long gestating camera viewpoints on characters, and heavily thoughtful dialogue that drives the film faster than we'd expect it to go.  It's not something that'll be forgotten, a cinematic masterpiece that portrays the issues of divorce and how it brings out the worst in us, even when we don't mean it.  It also shows how low people will go even when they don't think they would, as both Nicole and Charlie use each others' weaknesses to their advantage, and then realize the detriment they caused not just to each other, but their young son as well.

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson are both more well-known for their respective franchises ("Star Wars" and "Avengers"), but here the shed their action abilities and really deliver compelling, thought-provoking performances that'll be studied for decades to come in masterclasses of cinematic acting.  Adam Driver's Charlie tries to maintain a stiff upper lip and never let his emotions show, but you can see them bubbling underneath like a dormant volcano, and when he erupts, it leaves devastation.  Equally, Scarlett Johansson's Nicole carries herself as a strong woman, but also suffers her own emotional breakdowns, whose tears alone speaks volumes about her character.  Baumbach allowed his actors to include their personal experiences to the film, as Johansson has been divorced and Driver is the child of divorced parents, and you can sense the deeply personal touch they add to the finished product.

Both Charlie and Nicole get their own individual moments to shine, and each of their moments will leave you in breathless awe and wonder, as Charlie's moment occurs near the end of the film at a restaurant, while Nicole's happens when she's talking to Nora for the first time about her life with Charlie and how the camera pans on her as she blows her nose, goes to the bathroom to blow her nose again, and comment on the tastiness of the tea and cookies all through reddened tear-stained eyes.  Then there's the moment the two share together that's absolutely soul-crushing, as they use their words to hurt one another that's the equivalent of an earthquake that utterly destroys the room they're standing in.  It'll leave you speechless, and captivated by these performances that needs some serious awards recognition.

While most divorce films clearly feature a standout villain, "Marriage Story" doesn't do that - and it's something that a lot of people going through divorce can relate to.  Both Charlie and Nicole are good people, and both have their flaws.  Baumbach manages to really spend quality time with both individually and together to show us their well-rounded wholeness, and doesn't characterize either one as a villain or saint.  It's so unique, refreshing, and ultimately gratifying to see these two in all their glory and despair.

Offering a deeply personal look at the heartbreak of divorce, "Marriage Story" is a film like no other, delivered with perfect performances and a deeply intimate story that leaves you spellbound.

The Score: A+