Marriage Story: Movie Review

Marriage Story was directed by Noah Baumbach and stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson who play Charlie and Nicole in the film. Baumbach, who also wrote the screenplay for the film, drew partially on his own experiences with his ex-wife Jennifer Jason Leigh as inspiration for some of the plot of the movie.

Johansson (left) and Driver (right) co-lead the film as they play Nicole and Charlie.

The movie is focused on Charlie and Nicole's relationship and the ups and downs of marriage. It gives a realistic depiction of how a couple can fall in love very quickly and just as fast lose that love which results in divorce. It's how both characters deal with the divorce in the film where the emotion and passion stems from. Supporting characters played by Laura Dern and Alan Alda who play Nicole and Charlie's attorney's do a nice job of injecting humor into a difficult situation. I think Dern specifically stands out as she gets an ample amount of screen time and she makes the most of it.

Everyone in this movie does a nice job. The performances by Driver and Johansson are beautifully crafted throughout the film as they both feed off of each other's energy which created great chemistry that was evidently seen in the film. The writing by Baumbach is well thought out and is comedic at times but also powerful and real at others.

I had a few issues with the film as a whole, particularly the score of the film. Not to say the score it's bad, just a little bland at times when I think it could have been more intense. I also had a slight issue with the ending of the film, but other than that the plot was well paced.

Overall, this film is real and impactful. The combination of the performances and the writing/directing by Baumbach makes for a movie that resonates with a large target audience. At its core this movie is a film about the burdens of love and family. That is something that many people can relate to which is why it has a wide appeal. Both Johansson and Driver should get considerations for Oscars along with Laura Dern but ultimately I think Driver has the strongest chance.

Marriage Story is out now in select theaters and will be out on Netflix on December 6th.

Score: 4.2 out of 5