“Divorce lawyers see good people at their worst.”
Despite its annoyingly vague title, Marriage Story is
actually about a divorce. On one level writer-director Noah Baumbach’s
latest film feels like a divorce procedural. We follow a young attractive
couple (Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver) as they agree to keep things simple
and not involve lawyers, then involve lawyers, begin a custody battle, and try
to navigate all of the emotional and legal complexities of legally dissolving a
marriage. On another level, Marriage Story is a showcase of brilliant
performances ranging from subtle to ostentatious, comical to moving. I enjoyed Marriage
Story far more than I expected though I hesitate to recommend it since very
few people (myself included) are able to have a good time by watching people
argue and get divorced for over two hours. The divorce gets rocky but the film
doesn’t so much and if you are in the right mood for a relationship/divorce
drama you’ll find a decent, somehow, feel good movie.
This is the kind of movie that hangs entirely on its
performances. Fortunately, the leads and supporting players all turn in strong
performances. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver have both earned Oscar
nominations for their performances as the wife and husband seeking to uncouple
themselves while remaining involved with their eight-year-old son and
maintaining their careers. Both earn and lose and then earn back your sympathy.
Charlie (Driver) is a successful New York theater director whose latest avant-garde
production is headed to Broadway. Nicole (Johansson) once starred in a popular
Hollywood movie but since meeting and marrying Charlie has committed herself to
the stage. A Los Angeles native, Nicole has always wanted to spend more time
on the West Coast and now has landed a role in a pilot that will likely become
a series. Charlie thinks of them as a New York family and expects Nicole and their
son to move back to New York once the pilot is done. When Nicole decides to
officially file for divorce the real conflict between them begins.
Baumbach’s script does not overtly take sides though it
leans toward Charlie, especially toward the end of the film. The explosive climatic argument between Nicole and Charlie gives a chance for both actors to express
intense emotions, but it is Driver who gets to let out overwhelming pathos. A
court appointed observer—played with welcome awkward comic deadpan by Martha Kelly—is assigned to visit and interview both parents, but
we only see the visit
Charlie. Charlie does his best to present as an ideal father before the visit
falls into dark comedy. In a wonderfully delivered monologue early in the film,
Nicole gives us her backstory, both life events and emotional. After this scene
the perspective shifts to Charlie and never really shifts back to Nicole. We
are as blindsided as Charlie is by claims on money and custody by Nicole’s
lawyer.
Nora, Nicole’s flashy and smoothly confident high-powered
lawyer, is played with impressive ease by Laura Dern, who has earned a Best
Supporting Actress nomination. We’re just as charmed and dazzled by her as
Nicole, and just as stung by her as Charlie. Alan Alda delivers some great low-key
comedy as Charlie’s first divorce lawyer. He’s old enough that his hands shake
but also old enough to know how bad a divorce can get, and how it will likely
end, so, he recommends just starting there. On the complete opposite end of the
spectrum is Ray Liotta as Charlie second divorce lawyer, a high powered and
extremely expensive pit-bull. He speaks with such speed and ridiculous
intensity that he can’t help but be funny and believable as a ruthless lawyer. Julie Hagerty is a welcome presence as Nicole’s actress mother. She has so much flighty
warmth that she secretly helps Charlie find a divorce lawyer.
I’m sure certain viewers that have been through a divorce or
even a bad breakup will find something relatable with the characters and
situation in Marriage Story. I wouldn’t be surprised if other viewers find
these characters and their situation unrelatable. Nicole and Charlie, though
not wealthy, are in a very upper middle class bracket. They are so accomplished
that momentous life changing events like landing a starring role in a TV show
and earning an Emmy nomination for directing (Nicole) and winning a MacArthur
“genius” grant (Charlie) are just background plot points. Whether you can
relate or not, the performances from Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are of
such a rare quality as to keep you invested in their emotional journey.
Nominees: Noah Baumbach, David
Heyman, producers
Director: Noah Baumbach
Screenplay: Noah Baumbach
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Alan
Alda, Ray Liotta
Production Companies: Heyday Films
Distributor: Netflix
Release Date: November 6th, 2019
Total Nominations: 6, including Best Picture
Other Nominations: Actor-Adam Driver; Actress-Scarlett
Johansson; Original Screenplay-Noah Baumbach; Supporting Actress-Laura Dern; Original
Score-Randy Newman
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