Almost one in two marriages end in divorce. ‘Marriage Story’ is a bittersweet look at a relationship that is too far gone to repair. It is a lacerating drama about a couple that still has feelings for each other but simply cannot live together anymore. Director Noah Baumbach has been an indie favorite since his 2005 feature ‘The Squid and the Whale.’ He has the knack of taking the banalities of life and making them feel fresh. Any way you slice it, divorce is ugly. When each side lawyers up, the gloves come off. The reason ‘Marriage Story’ is one of the best films of the year is due to compelling performances by Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver. You can now enjoy it on Netflix in the comfort of your own home.
The opening scene is a montage of Nicole (Johansson) and Charlie (Driver) during the happy times of their marriage. The images are accompanied by the other’s voiceover. They are describing what they like best about each other. The scene then cuts to a marriage counselor’s office in a high rise somewhere in Manhattan. The reality sinks in. This couple’s relationship is on the rocks. Nicole is an actress from Los Angeles who moved to New York after getting notoriety in a popular teen movie. Charlie is an acclaimed theater director. Their lives intertwined and she became his muse. It’s obvious that she placed her career on hold for his to thrive.
Nicole has been offered a television pilot that would require her to move back to Los Angeles. This isn’t one defining moment that is the main reason for the split. She just knows that for her to grow as an actress and person that she must return to her roots in Los Angeles. Charlie wants to stay in New York so he can take his play to Broadway. There is only one problem. They have an 8-year-old son Henry (Ashy Robertson) that they both love. It’s evident that Charlie is a doting father. At first, there is a chance that they can work it out. When Nicole moves to Los Angeles, she hires a savvy divorce lawyer played wonderfully by Laura Dern. This forces Charlie to lawyer up. When the amiable lawyer played by Alan Alda fails, he hires the bulldog lawyer Ray Liotta to go up against Dern and the divorce gets ugly.
‘Marriage Story’ shows how two people invested in splitting up amicably can turn sour fast. They both have grown apart. Nicole wants to grow as an actress in LA and Charlie wants to continue his theater career in NYC. There is a telling scene where the couple squares off. It’s raw, it’s emotional and it’s heartbreaking. They still love each other but their lives have taken different paths. There is no bad seed in this drama. You may think Nicole is more to blame but it is not the case. Charlie has been so absorbed with his ambitions that he never considered the sacrifices she made for him. There is a talented ensemble cast including Wallace Shawn as a theater veteran, Julie Hagerty as Nicole’s daffy mother and Merritt Wever as Cassie her sister that gets the awkward task of serving Charlie the divorce papers.
‘Marriage Story’ is reminiscent of the 1979 drama ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’ starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. Because of the child, they cannot just walk away. They have to work it out and confront the warts of their failed relationship. The lead performances are stellar. This is the best performance of Johansson’s career since her sublime work in ‘Lost in Translation.’ When Nicole says,”I never really came alive for myself; I was only feeding his aliveness,” it sums the relationship perfectly. ‘Marriage Story’ is a must-see this award season.
