Marriage Story (2019)
A heart-wrenching movie that combines fantastic, visceral acting with a beautiful yet painful plot. The movie centers around a stage director (Adam Driver) and his actor (Scarlett Johansson) wife struggle through a grueling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them to their personal and creative extremes. This is certainly my favorite of the year and one of my favorites of all time.
Let me start off by talking about the acting. This serves as both leads best performances. Their acting is so raw and they bring a dynamic feeling to the characters they portray. One scene, in particular, stands out. When both characters finally sit down and talk about the court case we see what the movie has been building up towards the entire time. Their brewing issues with one another finally erupt and we see one of the most intense moments of the film of all time. The scene is perfect, there is no other way to describe it. Interestingly enough, each moment was choreographed with no moments of improvisations which was not what I expected at all due to the scenes raw feeling.
The movie also comes from a very personal place for both leads and the director, Noah Baumbach. Scarlett Johansson's parents divorced when she was thirteen and has divorced multiple times. Adam Driver's parents divorced and as did Noah Baumbach's parents. We also see how divorce impacts the children of the divorcees. It's truly heartbreaking to see a child choose between two people he loves.
We catch glimpses of what once was in their relationship and we, as the viewer, see the deep-rooted love they still have for one another which creates an even more emotional response. This isn't a movie that has two characters hate each other guts, rather it's two people who love one another but can no longer fit into one another's life. In reality, the latter is more common in divorce.
We understand the perspective of both characters. This movie makes clear that there is no objective right or wrong, no black, and white. Both characters have valid points of view. Even the lawyers who later represent them are simply doing their job and trying to win the court case. The problem with a lot of romantic comedies I see is that they attempt to highlight one character as "right" when in reality right is entirely subjective.
I also enjoyed the subtly in cinematography. Throughout Marriage Story, natural framing is played around a lot using by putting both subjects in a doorway. The movie's cinematography is subtle, playing to the realistic aspect that is the entirety of this movie.
Finally, let's talk about the ending. I think it was perfect. Divorce doesn't always have to end with anger and contempt. We see that both have moved on but still care deeply about one another. It's painful yet satisfying. There is no happy ending but there is compassion for both their son and for each other. A raw, visceral movie that is a must-watch for everyone.
The movie also comes from a very personal place for both leads and the director, Noah Baumbach. Scarlett Johansson's parents divorced when she was thirteen and has divorced multiple times. Adam Driver's parents divorced and as did Noah Baumbach's parents. We also see how divorce impacts the children of the divorcees. It's truly heartbreaking to see a child choose between two people he loves.
We catch glimpses of what once was in their relationship and we, as the viewer, see the deep-rooted love they still have for one another which creates an even more emotional response. This isn't a movie that has two characters hate each other guts, rather it's two people who love one another but can no longer fit into one another's life. In reality, the latter is more common in divorce.
We understand the perspective of both characters. This movie makes clear that there is no objective right or wrong, no black, and white. Both characters have valid points of view. Even the lawyers who later represent them are simply doing their job and trying to win the court case. The problem with a lot of romantic comedies I see is that they attempt to highlight one character as "right" when in reality right is entirely subjective.
I also enjoyed the subtly in cinematography. Throughout Marriage Story, natural framing is played around a lot using by putting both subjects in a doorway. The movie's cinematography is subtle, playing to the realistic aspect that is the entirety of this movie.
Finally, let's talk about the ending. I think it was perfect. Divorce doesn't always have to end with anger and contempt. We see that both have moved on but still care deeply about one another. It's painful yet satisfying. There is no happy ending but there is compassion for both their son and for each other. A raw, visceral movie that is a must-watch for everyone.
- GL
10 / 10
(Above) My favorite shot:
(Below) Runners-up:
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