FilmSnobReviews

Title: Marriage Story
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Noah Baumbach
Starring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern
Runtime: 2 hrs 17 mins

What It Is: Charlie (Driver) loves Nicole (Johansson). Nicole loves Charlie. This being the case the two did something two people in love do…they got married. Now the things that once worked no longer do. Charlie is still living in New York where they worked and lived and Nicole has moved back to her hometown of Los Angeles. They have a son, Henry, who’s caught in the cross-country push-pull between his soon to be divorced parents.

What We Think: This is a marriage story, a divorce story, a love story, but most of all a human story. One felt deep within the confines of your chest. You hurt, you ache, you feel for Nicole and Charlie. Do they love each other? I think so, but it’s in a different sense then what it once was. The acting here is stellar. Driver and Johansson are magnetic. They attract just as much as they deflect one and other. Baumbach has gone to the next level in his writing and directing. His hand here is gentle and he never comprises his script. Laura Dern is a scene-stealer and the whole thing breaks your heart by its conclusion. Probably several times.

Our Grade: A+, This goes without saying I think. This is the best film released in 2019. Period. If you know me then you know I’m a fan of emotional filmmaking. There’s such a personal story told here. A catharsis to the whole affair. Netflix and Noah Baumbach are two films in, a match made in cinematic heaven. Couple this with The Meyerowitz Stories and you have two of the very best films Netflix has to offer. Adam Driver alongside Joker‘s Joaquin Phoenix could perhaps be the front runners for the Academy Award. Likewise, Scarlett Johansson might be in for a few statues herself. Yeah, see this film IMMEDIATELY…but bring the tissues. You’ll need them.