Marriage Story

My first reaction to see the praise for an upcoming film, Marriage Story was that it was a one I'd actually find quite boring and likely disagree with other critics on. 

It was appealing because it featured Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in the lead roles, and because it was freely available on Netflix, but otherwise I gave it a chance because A) the star power and B) it's a dud of a weekend at theaters because Hollywood doesn't understand the concept of overcrowding when it comes to Holiday release schedule. 

So this Saturday morning I woke up, somewhat hungover from our big company holiday party the night before, and started Marriage Story. The most recent Netflix release, The Irishman, has been sitting on my mind the past week and I can't say it's aging all that well as I still can't quite understand why it felt the need to be as long as it was. 

Marriage Story is a lengthy film too, though considerably less so than Irishman at about 2.25 hours. That's more manageable, but also a struggle if the film would be as boring as I expected. 

Within moments of watching Marriage Story, I knew that this film was going to be special; a pleasant surprise. The opening starts with Driver's Charlie telling us what he loves about his wife in specific, cute, and real detail. Then Johansson's Nicole does the same. It's an immediately endearing tactic that shows you this is going to be a film that's real, features relatable characters, and can be intermittently funny. Quickly, the film cuts to these two in counseling and we learn that these letters are ones they were asked to write as an exercise to communicate openly with one another about their lost love. 

Marriage Story is a tough film to explain exactly what it is. Ultimately it's a drama, but with a healthy dose of laughs to be had, and almost acts as a parable against divorce and how ugly/expensive it can become. It'll make you sad, contemplating your own relationships, happy, and introspective about yourself and, if the amount of time I've spent thinking about it today is any indication, it'll last far past the end credits. This is primarily due to the writing which is easily some of the best of the year and near perfect for the film. Conversations feel natural and real which adds brutality to some of the more dramatic moments and playfulness to others. This incredible script gives us deep insights into both of the main characters (and decent insight into side characters) that is rarely achieved in a film's short time span. The writing boils up to what becomes an awesome screenplay where scenes and behaviors and settings play out just as raw and realistic as the writing that supports their framework. If I read this paragraph back it would seem like this is perhaps a "stuffy" film that's "just for critics" but I was almost floored by how accessible it would be to anyone. My girlfriend, uninterested in watching it with me initially, found herself nearly equally hooked on what was transpiring. 

Having one hell of a career year...

Also having a hell of a year
(and about to be bigger...)

A large reason for this accessibility comes from our two main leads in Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson. Many side characters are good/great, but really the film belongs to these two and the bond they share. Their marriage isn't exactly in shambles and a lot of little things are what's pushed them away from one another. Those little things add up to large oceans, so it's a complicated performance they must capture as there's not pure hatred here. Both are a mix of frustration, exhaustion, anger, sadness, and lingering feelings for the other - all woven intricately throughout the script and nuances of their performances. To say one is better than the other would be really hard to do; Johansson is able to play a woman ready to be "untrapped" but one who also doesn't quite know what to do. Driver is the one who always has known what's going to happen next and is the most shocked by the divorce, trying to think of ways they could still fix it. They're both so talented that it helps the film to double down on its genuine nature and pull you into their lives. 

Marriage Story is equally powerful in the sense that it's also, almost subconsciously perhaps, a warning against divorce, particularly when a child is involved. This couple and relationship seems like one that could have been fixed, one where they could have worked through problems that every couple has. Instead, the route of divorce is where it heads and it grows to this almost out-of-control monster that neither parent wanted to succumb to, but they feel as if it's in the best interest of their child. Lawyers get expensive, as does the travel for Charlie back and forth from New York to LA, so it's a heartbreaking thing to witness these characters that just simply want to separate (without hatred) waste so many resources. 

After writing this I took a look back through the Netflix "exclusive" films I've watched. They range from pretty awful, to good, but forgettable, to great. I genuinely think that Marriage Story will likely be my favorite of the bunch for quite some time. It's a film that speaks in so many ways - both fun and tragic - with astonishing performances from two of Hollywood's biggest stars. Watching a film about a family going through a divorce may not sound appealing, but I assure you, Marriage Story is worth the time. And that's coming from someone who was doubting it from the start. 

CONS

• A scene that features Charlie singing goes on for too long and feels out of place and uncharacteristically "fake" 
• Probably about 15 mins too long overall
• Hard to keep track of time throughout - sometimes from one scene to the next several weeks/months have passed

PROS

• Immaculate writing that is the foundation for a real and captivating screenplay. This isn't a "boring" film by any means
• Astonishing balance of humor, sadness, anger, and a host of other emotions, sometimes all within a single scene
• Some career-best performances from Johansson and Driver with what I imagine is some pretty complicated material given all the emotions involved
• Grabs you from the beginning in a smart way and remains intriguing throughout
• Can be covertly very funny. Not so far as to say it's a dramedy, but some good fun to be had
• A film that will challenge you to think about yourself and your relationships with significant others (past and present). There's not some huge factor dividing these two individuals, it's a lot of what happens to real couples every day
• Not exactly a feel good movie, but not exactly one you'll come out of depressed either. It's just real and genuine

Rath's Review Score | 9/10