Marriage Story
Directed by: Noah Baumbach
Runtime: 137 minutes
Marriage isn’t easy and certainly isn’t for everyone. However, the days of cinema portraying divorce as a comedic and bitter affair, with a horrible ex-wife tokened as a ‘dragon lady’ and the lazy husband who quickly hooks up with a far younger woman, seems to be behind us. Marriage Story follows Charlie and Nicole (Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson) as they navigate the difficult and turbulent waters of divorce while still trying to remain a family for their son Henry. The film’s satisfyingly realistic portrayal of the divorcing couple, torn between their desire for things to end while still remaining on good terms, successfully brings you into Charlie and Nicole’s world.
Marriage Story’s narrative had to be handled with sensitivity and care, avoiding the cinema tropes of a divorce while simultaneously telling an honest story. Director Noah Baumbach succeeds, focusing on the small details and nuances to make every moment between the characters feel genuine and thoughtful. One such moment between the characters happens early when they tell the audience what they love about each other. This establishes the characters’ existing love for one another while also establishing that they are no longer a good fit. Nicole and Charlie go through hell together but somehow they still feel like a team as they both try and make the right decision for their son Henry and support each other in a new way.
I was impressed that the only flashbacks depicting the characters’ marriage was used right at the start of the film. Otherwise, whenever Nicole and Charlie would talk about their marriage, the camera would remain firmly in place on their faces and allow them to recount their issues like any real person would. It was in the performances that these moments worked so well. When Nicole tells her lawyer about the decline of her relationship with Charlie—how she feels like she was slowly losing sight of herself in his creative orbit—Johansson keeps your eyes fixated on her with very few transitions or camera movement to make the moment feel more exciting. You are there and present for her as she breaks down in front of you. Similarly, any arguments that happened—whether between Nicole and Charlie or their lawyers—is never clarified or explained through emotional flashbacks. We, very similar to the divorce attorneys, have to evaluate the truth behind the couples’ claims, leaving us equally confused about what is fact and what is fiction. This works extremely well for Marriage Story, as it is clear you are not supposed to choose sides but simply sympathise with their situation as they try to keep their son but also end on good terms.
The great performances from Laura Dern and Alan Alda (and later Ray Liotta) as the partners’ respective lawyers serve as a fitting foil for the couple, rather than simply pitting the couple at each others’ throats. Sometimes charming, sometimes unlikable, vicious and manipulative, the lawyers soon become antagonists as their process tears the family further apart, slowly turning any civility into bitterness. It is in these moments Nicole and Charlie show their humanity; it becomes obvious that neither character wants a legal battle, but to end everything before anyone gets hurt.
Marriage Story paints a genuine picture of a relationship that is slowly deteriorating and building into something new. With the excellent performances from Driver, Johansson and Dern, this film strays away from the typical portrayal of a broken marriage and instead delves into a heart-warming and meaningful journey between two characters.
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