Movie Review: Marriage Story (2019)
I have always considered Ingmar Bergman’s “Scenes from a Marriage” and Richard Linklater’s “Before Midnight” the perfect depictions of an imperfect marriage onscreen. After seeing Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” (for the first time in 2019 and again more recently), I’ll be adding his film into the fold.
Maintaining its power from the first time it hit Netflix, “Marriage Story” is a 136-minute corollary to Bergman and Linklater’s versions of what a real marriage is like. Here’s an honest portrayal of the emotional strains that come along once the marriage falls apart.
It’s also, by the way, one of the best films of the 21st century thus far.
A Marriage Story That Begins with Divorce
Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson star as Charlie and Nicole Barber, a theater director and actress going through a divorce. It begins with them seeing a mediator to try and sort their marriage out—or at least, whatever left of it.
As they divide their time between Los Angeles and New York, Charlie and Nicole go through the divorce as emotional upheaval begins running high. They hire their respective lawyers for the proceedings (Laura Dern’s turn as Nicole’s lawyer is particularly a scene-stealer), and try to keep their shit together. Their son Henry is in the middle of this, and their differing opinions on his welfare add to the conflict. All these come to a head with a back-and-forth argument that’s among the best movie scenes I’ve watched in years.
That’s basically the entire movie, and it could’ve been a melodramatic tear-jerker had it given in to a few predictable plot devices and heavy-handed acting. But with Baumbach at the helm and Driver and Johansson giving their Oscar-worthy performances, we were witnesses to an emotional whirlwind that’s hard to watch for its honesty but worth the ride for its humanity.
A Love Letter to Marriage—Through and Through
Arguably the filmmaker’s strongest work, “Marriage Story” relies on Baumbach’s assured direction, which involves trusting his actors to bring his characters to life. By sticking to his guns, he lets them walk the thin line that separates depicting human imperfection from resorting to self-righteousness. For better or worse, “Marriage Story” is a love letter to relationships, and Baumbach makes sure that point shine through.
Because here’s a funny and heartbreaking film about divorce between two people who didn’t want a divorce in the first place. It’s frustrating to watch them deconstruct their marriage at the same time it’s crumbling to pieces. Ultimately, it doesn’t take long to realize that neither of them wants the emotional toll their marriage has given them.
Sure, Nicole wants a divorce because she believes she’s lost her identity. She’s buried her own pursuit of happiness in support of his, and she wants a new start. Yes, Charlie wants a divorce because he thinks she doesn’t want to stay married to him. He believes she’d have bolted out long ago, were it not for the pregnancy.
But to be fair, do they actually know what they really want?
Masterful Depiction of Love Even—and Especially—in a Crumbling Relationship
This is why I hold writer-director Baumbach to a very high regard. His films tackle adult themes that expose the humanity of his principal characters, regardless of gender. He doesn’t marginalize his female characters, and they never regress to caricatures or stereotypes. On the contrary, they display naked emotional complexities that make them so darn exasperating, relatable, and ultimately real. Without touching upon Baumbach’s own failed marriage to actress Jennifer Jason Leigh, this film on its own stands tall. And with sheer élan, the film skillfully depicts moments of intimacy in a relationship already devoid of one.
Until now, “Marriage Story” has never lost its magic. Here’s director Noah Baumbach at his usual best, lending a levelheaded perspective on a love on the rocks and the unnecessary vitriol born out of a couple’s disappointments and frustrations. And with Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson giving their performances of a lifetime, we stop caring for the divorce.
In the end, we all simply wish for their happiness—a fulfillment with or without one another. They both deserve that much.
