Marriage Story
Marriage Story (2019)
Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver. Take a bow. As if 10 years of her bringing us Marvel and 5 years of him bringing us Star Wars has resulted in them joining forces to deliver this perfect little indie flick straight to our homes. Quite literally a gift (particularly to my friends who use my Netflix account).
There’s a delightful 10 minute red herring introduction where their respective characters, Nicole and Charlie, extol the virtues of the other but after that this should have been called Divorce Story. Based on true events in director Noah Baumbach’s marriage to actress Jennifer Jason Leigh this is a low-key relationship drama. With very little drama. In fact there’s only about two arguments. Aside from that it’s two people navigating a separation without much name-calling or backstabbing. Well a little bit of backstabbing once the lawyers get involved and complicate it all.
Laura Dern’s portrayal of Renata in Big Little Lies was so gloriously vicious that she endeared herself to anyone who watched it. She plays Johansson’s lawyer here and it’s the closest she’ll come to playing Renata on the big screen so it looks like she’ll snatch the Oscar. Poor Adam Driver he’s totally blindsided by her quick talking dominance. He’s blindsided by everything. It’s all happening so fast for him that it makes you want to be sick on his behalf. When he’s in the reception area of one office and the penny drops that his wife has strategically visited every lawyer so that he can’t get a good one. Wowzers.
It can be easy to consider Scarlett Johansson the bad guy. But the point is life and relationships aren’t that black and white. Her monologue in Dern’s office is delicious as she walks in and out of the bathroom, interrupts herself, eats... have I ever mentioned how I love actors when they eat? It can’t be faked. If I were Italian I’d put my thumb to my longest finger and reverberate my hand in a gesture of respect.
The love and regard each character has for each other, which spills into secret crying, as they persevere with their separation is crushing. Randy Newman’s pitch perfect sentimental score doesn’t help. Get the tissues.
Every character is portrayed flawlessly by every member of the cast. Her family are wonderful. The scene in the kitchen where she has to hand him the divorce papers exemplifies why I love Marriage Story. Other films would have dramatised that scene, made it harrowing or cruel. Yet here it’s delivered with not only great humour, but with the intensity of a thriller. Merrit Weaver and Julie Hagerty as Nicole’s sister and mother are hilarious in this scene. Dern’s legal mastery is arousing. Johansson’s subtle none acting is compelling but for me if Adam Driver took home the gold I’d be more than happy. He’s so internal. You can see every cog turning in his big Irish Setter head. You can feel how cornered and frustrated he is. He also provides a line creative people have been looking for to a question we dread:
“Oh you’re a director? Anything I’ve seen?”
“I don’t know, what have you seen?”.
Great film. Funny, moving and at times infuriating.
Watch this now.
10 Domestic Thumbs Up!
