Marriage Story Review

Remarkably intimate, embracingly sincere, and deeply thoughtful, writer/director Noah Baumbach’s newest drama Marriage Story achieves an incredible balance of emotional sharpness and refreshing humour. Baumbach’s near-flawless screenplay focuses heavily on the raw and vulnerable aspects of a divorce from both perspectives while still managing to find opportunities to incorporate his quirky and heartfelt sense of absurdity in ways that are both effective and endearing. Although the film experiences some slow sections that feel less driven than others, the plethora of successful elements are fortified magnificently throughout by the potential career-defining performances given by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, complimenting the intensely tender narrative with raw portraits of a couple growing apart.

Marriage Story follows Charlie and Nicole Barber, a New York City couple who experienced marital trouble and are now facing the joint and individual struggles of a difficult and tactical divorce. When Nicole decides to leave New York and move her career to California, taking their son Henry with her, the settlement process begins to push both of them passed their emotional boundaries.

The effectiveness of Baumbach’s narrative presentation becomes engrossing almost immediately; the minimalistic and compassionate approach to visual storytelling helps make the characters and situations feel heavy and full of humanity. The tragic thematic elements that Baumbach tackles are bolstered by resonant monologues that are delivered beautifully, adding waves of emotion onto an unrelentingly unfeigned story. Yet, Baumbach’s material and visual approach is one that could not have resonated if not for the efforts given by the cast. Both Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson give performances brimming with an emotional resonance that heightens the already searing script and could comfortably put them in Academy Award contention.

The narrative of Marriage Story insists on unveiling itself in a leisurely and natural manner that compliments the majority of the film. Still, the perspectives and attitudes that Baumbach has decided to tackle can, at times, feel underwhelming, especially in comparison to the devastating moments that take place throughout.

These minor and periodic issues are easily forgivable due to the definite amount of heart and care that's put into creating and performing the material. Ultimately, Marriage Story proves itself as an intelligent case study into the divorce of a broken couple, embedding plenty of gripping moments of melancholy and humour throughout.

Noah Baumbach's emotionally powerful screenplay and critical performances from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson help make Marriage Story an undeniably compassionate ode to the end of love.

Produced By: Netflix
Runtime: 136 minutes
Rating: R