Uninspiring. Unmoving. Overrated. Slow. Basic. One of my most anticipated movies of 2019 was just that. The production department created one of the best series trailers for Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story (The Squid and the Whale, While We’re Young). In one trailer, lead Nicole (Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation, Match Point) recites a prepared letter she wrote about everything she loves about her soon-to-be ex-husband, Charlie (Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman, Paterson). It’s a voice-over as we see the two interacting, through good times and bad, flashing to scenes with their young son Henry and others in some sort of courtroom. It ends with Nicole saying to Charlie, “I think we should talk.” He responds with, “Okay.” The two sit uncomfortably, looking at each other for a good five seconds (an eternity in a trailer) before he says, “I don’t know where to start.” In the second trailer, it’s a reversal. Charlie recites the letter he prepared for Nicole. A different series of similar scenes plays in the background, and the ending is the same. It’s clear this movie is about a fractured relationship. We are left clinging for more.
Charlie is an imaginative, gifted theatre director working on a successful off-Broadway production in New York City. Nicole, a California native, is a former television star who plays a key role in Charlie’s plays. We meet the couple after they have already agreed to a divorce. They are in mediation, trying to decide how to divide their assets and care for Henry, and both agree they don’t want to involve lawyers… because they can work out any irreconcilable differences while also not shelling out thousands of dollars.
However, we know that things will take a lot of work because 1) we need a movie and 2) this is life. Believing she needs to protect her needs and Henry’s, she hires Nora (Laura Dern – Wild, Jurassic Park), an ultra-efficient but painstakingly honest lawyer who puts her clients’ needs first and everyone else’s a distant second. At the heart of the matter is where Henry should live. Nicole argues he should be in California with her because that’s where he was born, where he lives, and where he goes to school now (Nicole is temporarily working on a pilot television show in Los Angeles). However, Charlie believes he and Nicole agreed that Henry’s home is in New York and that the California residency is temporary. Believing he needs to protect his interests, Charlie hires his lawyer, Bert (Alan Alda – The Aviator, Bridge of Spies), a cheaper alternative to Jay (Ray Liotta – Unlawful Entry, Narc), someone far more aggressive but with an expensive retainer.
Things get ugly as the animosity, malice, and jealousy surface, and the attacks and criticisms emerge. All between them that they hoped could be dead and buried comes pouring out in the most resentful ways. Charlie goes after Nicole’s drinking habits while she references his infidelity. What they hoped would be a harmonious parting of ways instead becomes what you might expect: an all-out war to see which party can win and get the most from the other. Like many other contentious situations, Henry becomes a bargaining chip, and though he is young and innocent, we can see the effects taking their toll on him.
Marriage Story plays out as you might expect. Divorce is usually ugly. Even when everyone involved has honorable intentions, we often find points of contention we can’t get past. In this very personal story, Baumbach brings grief, anger, and denial to each of his lead characters and shows how two people with seemingly good intentions can do insidious things to one another that they would never think of; how two well-intentioned persons who once passionately loved each other and still care about one another can use each other’s secrets as weapons to get what they want in a divorce proceeding. Divorce can turn us into the worst versions of ourselves, pitting us against the person whom we may once have loved more than anybody else in this world.
This film does many things very well. Technically, there are few errors. It just isn’t an overly interesting story crafted by Baumbach. We don’t know our characters well enough to care. We know that Henry has two parents who love him and that, even if he isn’t the same child as he was when his parents were together, he will be okay. Johansson and Driver were serviceable, but nothing about their performances was special. In a career with plenty of highs, I’m bummed that this will be Johansson’s first Academy Award nomination. I’m happy she’ll get one, as I think she should have been nominated for some of her earlier roles.
Overall, this movie didn’t live up to the hype and will get much more recognition this awards season than it deserves.
Plot 7.5/10
Character Development 7/10
Character Chemistry 7/10
Acting 7.5/10
Screenplay 7/10
Directing 7/10
Cinematography 7/10
Sound 7/10
Hook and Reel 7/10
Universal Relevance 9/10
73%
D
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