Marriage Story - Movie Review

Love is a complex thing. It shouldn't be easy because it is full of elements of all walks of life, internal chemistry, and just emotions that affect it. With humans, love is full of twists and turns and sometimes it can last for many years. My parents got to know each other deeply in high school, started dating in college, and are together to this day. But others are not so lucky and people have broken up over many situations. I myself had a breakup a few years ago before COVID happened and thankfully my ex and I have remained friends. So to celebrate Valentines day, I decided to watch a film that is not about love, but what it means for love to be separated. This is... Marriage Story.

Marriage Story is about a couple going through a divorce. Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole Barber (Scarlett Johansson) are not happy together and they want to separate, but they don't want to get lawyers involved and they want to be sure that their son, Henry (Azhy Robertson), is happy and that his life isn't thrown into chaos. In her new job as an actress however one of Nicole's coworkers recommends her a family lawyer named Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern) to help her out with the divorce. Soon Charlie is forced to obtain his own lawyer to make sure he can have some custody over his son and the whole ordeal becomes a lot more than they wanted it to be.

I've been wanting to watch and learn about this movie for years. And I've really wanted to review this film during the month of love and finally I got the chance! I heard it was fantastically acted, very realistic/ believable to how a real divorce is like, and is excellently directed. After watching the film I found all of these to be true. And yet... I think this film might be underappreciated because it doesn't fluff the material. This isn't like other knockout films from 2019 such as The Lighthouse, Parasite, or Portrait of the Lady on Fire. This is a movie about real issues that works so well because of the highly talented direction of Noah Baumbach and two very strong performances from our lead actors. Well, Parasite is also like that, but that one was more tense in ways that felt uncommon while Marriage Story had tense moments that felt more grounded. Both are masterpieces though and if you haven't watched either, then drop what you're doing and watch them.

Anyways, back on topic. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as the stars really excited me when I saw the first trailer years ago. Scar Jo is a really good actor, not just the stuff with Marvel, but in films like Jojo Rabbit and Under the Skin she has proven that she put on a great performance. Adam Driver is also a fantastic actor, in fact he's quickly become of my favorite actors working in Hollywood with films like this, The Last Duel, and BlacKkKlansman! Both of them are the top of their games in Marriage Story, having to show so much emotion in a situation riddled with stress and conflict. Both have to break down in tears, yell at each other, be able to smile both in and outside of tense situations, and try to remain perfectly calm when other people are getting personal with their lives. There is so much that these actors have to do!

It's not just our main duo who put on strong performances, Azhy Robertson was also very great as their son, Henry. He acted like a child should in such a situation, though both parents were trying their best to keep his life as normal as possible. Still, he felt so young and innocent throughout the film, it really affected our characters (especially Charlie) in how they had to deal with him and their own lives during the divorce process. Laura Dern, Alan Alda (as one of Charlie's lawyers), and Wallace Shawn (in a small role) also put on great performances. The whole cast were excellently chosen and performed very well throughout the whole film

What really makes this film shine though is the drama. Marriage Story is a very realistic portrayal of a divorce, a portrayal that lacks the over-the-top elements that are in more commercialized and televised dramas. Yes, there can be separations that are more violent and/ or nasty, but not all of them are like this, sometimes these can happen because people grow apart. I actually know somebody who is going through such a situation right now and they've separated because their love has slowly died out. That's kind of what Marriage Story tries to show, a tale that is very down-to-earth and understandable to anybody. Despite out main two characters wanting to break up, I can see that both still care for each other. Not as love, but as friends.

This relatability made this connect with me much faster than other films. The first 5 minutes were used to have our main characters list what they love about the other and that hit me right in the feels. But then I learned these lists were for a marriage counseling session and that's when the real punch in the feels (and guts) hit me. By having these very heart-felt unveilings of each other, we understand who these people are. But when reality comes in, we know this is a more serious story and we shouldn't treat the movie like a fairy tale or a soap opera. We then see Charlie and Nicole in very real situations, from working new jobs to eating out to taking care of their son and it shows that both parties are complex.

There is no good and bad side in this movie. At first it felt like I should be supporting Charlie, but then later, as new information came out, I leaned towards Nicole. Then it was back to Charlie after more information came out and by the end I felt both sides were pretty equal. I have a feel other people will have different ways to look over this conflict and formulate their own opinions on this, but all of them will have their opinion change at least once in this film. Having this complex conflict really sells how love and marriage isn't simple. I do wish we could have experienced a little more from Nicole's point of view, but it was mostly very balanced screen time between the two.

Without a doubt the scariest moments in this movie (yes, I am serious) are the scenes with the lawyers. No matter what job you have, there are two goals to it: Do your job well and make a profit. As I watched this film I come to learn how cut-throat being a lawyer can be. I have already experienced some of this in shows like Better Call Saul, but this is different. This was more on a personal level with the subject matter. A friend of mine told me that lawyers are a necessary evil upon this world in order for justice to be served and seeing this film... yeah, I agree. Though not all lawyers are bad, as Charlie's first lawyer really understands where he's coming from. When that one is unable to really help him as much as he needs though he must turn to the lawyers that have a lot more money and power and corruption about them in order to win his case.

This is where the scare comes in because most of the lawyers really dig into the lives of other people in order to throw dirt into their eyes and a wrench into their plans. Charlie and Nicole don't want to be so hostile towards each other, but the lawyers, like most, believe they have to be in order to win. Twisting motives and words like this really made me uncomfortable with what was going on. Tempers flared when they don't need to and it got rather frightening at certain points. So many emotions kept flowing through me as the movie progressed and because of that, I just love this film. Not just that, but the cinematography for such scenes were excellent! Very long shots with great framing to them to keep me uncomfortable with the tension. I couldn't escape the crushing feelings of helplessness and loss that were thrust upon me!

Marriage Story feels like a requirement if you're planning to get married. I smiled, I wept, I felt great anger, and great fear and discomfort. When the film ended I felt way more informed on what my future love life should be like. I also realized the true consequences of a divorce and how much it can take over your life and drain you of your energy, money, and love for others. Such epic performances from our main actors, along with excellent direction and cinematography, make Marriage Story a fantastic film and one that should be praised for it's character studies!

Tentative Score: 9.5/10

Maybe not the best film to fit Valentine's Day, but one I greatly enjoy!