Very good movie and incredibly well acted. Obviously Driver and Scar Jo are fantastic, but what stands out even more to me are the supporting performances. Ray Liotta and Alan Alda were great and fun to watch. Yes the final argument between Driver and Johansson was incredible, but the part of the film revolving around Driver and the social worker is something I’ll never forget. Honestly, I don’t think it’s the best movie this year, but the performances are worth all the praise.
With Marriage Story, Noah Baumbach wears his inspirations on his sleeve. Not only do the characters sing parts of Sondheim's Company (my favorite musical), but there's an article about Nicole and Charlie (Scarjo and Adam Driver) called Scenes from a Marriage, an overt reference to Ingmar Bergman's film. Both pieces are about the complexity of marriage, and the latter tracks a marital breakdown. As does THIS movie, which could have been called Divorce Story except no one would have wanted to watch it. At the heart of this breakdown are, I think, so well-chosen professions for the leads. Charlie is a director, a control freak, a man with a vision who has created his own world and doesn't see the need to disrupt it. Nicole is an actress, mutable, out of control, crafting a new non-married identity that seems unrecognizable to her husband. You might think, wow, this must be a sad film, and yes, it definitely has crushing moments of poignancy. But it's also pretty funny at times, darkly so when the divorce lawyers are on screen. The whole process is shown to be toxic and absurd, and makes bad people out of good, loving parents. But for all that, it's not a satire; it's all just more complicated than that, and the actors of course carry it well. I will say it's rather strange to watch a Baumbach movie that leaves New York for L.A., but it's thematically resonant for the writer-director to be as alienated as his lead character is.
It was... OK. Both Johansson and Driver gave 110% but
I think their characters were quite flat. After the first half hour the whole theater and tv series thing becomes an afterthought. The divorce doesn’t have resonance in their work as some critics have said. You have two characters with creative jobs and you don’t show how this thing is affecting their performance? Seems like a wasted opportunity. Charlie’s failure on Broadway and Nicole's transformation into an Emmy nominated director are told in just a line each. And then they throw an affair and a hint of alcoholism among other things that also go nowhere. But the worst thing for me was how uninterested the kid acted throughout the whole movie. It was frustrating. He was the true reason why they were fighting and he seemed barely affected by the situation. Maybe adding another child who leaned more towards Charlie would have added another layer of drama but who knows.
Overall is not a bad film. The cast is great, there were some nice editing choices and the dialogue is brilliant. I just think it lacks personality to step above other films about divorce.
It's inaptly titled as there is very little "marriage" in this "divorce story." But it's a well-done, thoughtful movie about a once-loving relationship breaking apart. Very well-written by Baumbach. Good acting by both of the leads, and a great cast of talented supporting actors (Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, etc).
This is a very moving movie for any child of divorce. The performances were great and so many moments hearken back to some tough moments.
However, I think the story is a bit one-sided. It’s set up to be on Charlie’s side. The characters overlook his affair, the career changes line up so he is the one chasing his son and balancing his work, family court too, we end up in his head and from his vantage for the last act, and he gets the final word through the song. (That did make me cry, of course. I am human.)
(My sister mentioned to me some background with Baumbach’s own divorce that may have informed some of this balance in the script? I don’t know much there, but that’s interesting.)
Ultimately, I think the movie has some nuanced things to say about marriage, divorce, and family; I just wish they were said through a more neutral story.
This movie is so contrived & false that it's infuriating. Why did they put themselves & their child through all this? Because of some flimsy stubborn competitiveness established in the beginning? I'm not buying it. And even so, that just makes me loathe these characters. It even goes so far as to lay on a disingenuous feminist element that is completely off base & laughable for no other reason I can imagine than that Baumbach wanted pander to the current political climate. Laura Dern's spiel on women's disadvantages in society do not apply to the court system when deliberating custody. Conversely, it's the man rather who's dealt the disadvantage in this case(Driver even had to pay for a third of Scarlett's legal costs!). The woman is favored in such a circumstance for a reason the Liotta character explicitly brought up earlier on in the film. So, now the film contradicts itself too...
.
I can 't speak for others(clearly to some out there there's resonance here), but as a child who has virtually known divorce all his life, who cannot even remember when his parents were ever together, I could not get over how phony this all felt. As a human being I could not get over how infuriating this all felt(& not the way it was intended). Unfortunately, not even the acting could redeem it for me in any way. In fact, the acting was so good at times that my disgust for the characters would momentarily slip off onto the actors. I found this to be just a bunch of noise & emotions around nothing, wherein they waste their money & potential on divorce proceedings that neither one of them wanted, but sustained anyways out of a sick power game; meanwhile, the world's got real problems going on...In other words, there is no real problem here. Just middle-upper class, self-indulgent, first-world idiots with maniacal egos stirring one up & then acting like nothing happened because Driver needs his shoe tied...
If Baumbach needs a solid story to film he should consider reading some novels & optioning something because clearly he is just forcing something here out of what may be a drought of anything more substantial to say. It's a movie about people who have the resources to be relatively happy, but who create a problem for themselves & come out the other end with nothing--like nothing at all had happened.
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Comments 1 - 13 of 13
Fastkit
The Apartment scene was incredibly actedMichael12
Very good movie and incredibly well acted. Obviously Driver and Scar Jo are fantastic, but what stands out even more to me are the supporting performances. Ray Liotta and Alan Alda were great and fun to watch. Yes the final argument between Driver and Johansson was incredible, but the part of the film revolving around Driver and the social worker is something I’ll never forget. Honestly, I don’t think it’s the best movie this year, but the performances are worth all the praise.Siskoid
With Marriage Story, Noah Baumbach wears his inspirations on his sleeve. Not only do the characters sing parts of Sondheim's Company (my favorite musical), but there's an article about Nicole and Charlie (Scarjo and Adam Driver) called Scenes from a Marriage, an overt reference to Ingmar Bergman's film. Both pieces are about the complexity of marriage, and the latter tracks a marital breakdown. As does THIS movie, which could have been called Divorce Story except no one would have wanted to watch it. At the heart of this breakdown are, I think, so well-chosen professions for the leads. Charlie is a director, a control freak, a man with a vision who has created his own world and doesn't see the need to disrupt it. Nicole is an actress, mutable, out of control, crafting a new non-married identity that seems unrecognizable to her husband. You might think, wow, this must be a sad film, and yes, it definitely has crushing moments of poignancy. But it's also pretty funny at times, darkly so when the divorce lawyers are on screen. The whole process is shown to be toxic and absurd, and makes bad people out of good, loving parents. But for all that, it's not a satire; it's all just more complicated than that, and the actors of course carry it well. I will say it's rather strange to watch a Baumbach movie that leaves New York for L.A., but it's thematically resonant for the writer-director to be as alienated as his lead character is.Forzelius
Excellently acted this generation's Kramer vs Kramerbaraka92
It was... OK. Both Johansson and Driver gave 110% butOverall is not a bad film. The cast is great, there were some nice editing choices and the dialogue is brilliant. I just think it lacks personality to step above other films about divorce.
jmars
Dammit Adam Driver, that wasn't karaoke, that was a dagger in my heart.Filmbuff77
It's inaptly titled as there is very little "marriage" in this "divorce story." But it's a well-done, thoughtful movie about a once-loving relationship breaking apart. Very well-written by Baumbach. Good acting by both of the leads, and a great cast of talented supporting actors (Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, etc).traistboar
Loved the references to Sondheim's 'Company', one of the best musicals ever. This is what happens when 'Bobby' gets married.Andrewski
This is a very moving movie for any child of divorce. The performances were great and so many moments hearken back to some tough moments.However, I think the story is a bit one-sided. It’s set up to be on Charlie’s side. The characters overlook his affair, the career changes line up so he is the one chasing his son and balancing his work, family court too, we end up in his head and from his vantage for the last act, and he gets the final word through the song. (That did make me cry, of course. I am human.)
(My sister mentioned to me some background with Baumbach’s own divorce that may have informed some of this balance in the script? I don’t know much there, but that’s interesting.)
Ultimately, I think the movie has some nuanced things to say about marriage, divorce, and family; I just wish they were said through a more neutral story.
Jace Lightner
Amazing movie!!bsc
People expect so little from Laura Dern that she wins an Oscar when she acts decent.LiquidSplitter
This movie is so contrived & false that it's infuriating. Why did they put themselves & their child through all this? Because of some flimsy stubborn competitiveness established in the beginning? I'm not buying it. And even so, that just makes me loathe these characters. It even goes so far as to lay on a disingenuous feminist element that is completely off base & laughable for no other reason I can imagine than that Baumbach wanted pander to the current political climate. Laura Dern's spiel on women's disadvantages in society do not apply to the court system when deliberating custody. Conversely, it's the man rather who's dealt the disadvantage in this case(Driver even had to pay for a third of Scarlett's legal costs!). The woman is favored in such a circumstance for a reason the Liotta character explicitly brought up earlier on in the film. So, now the film contradicts itself too....
I can 't speak for others(clearly to some out there there's resonance here), but as a child who has virtually known divorce all his life, who cannot even remember when his parents were ever together, I could not get over how phony this all felt. As a human being I could not get over how infuriating this all felt(& not the way it was intended). Unfortunately, not even the acting could redeem it for me in any way. In fact, the acting was so good at times that my disgust for the characters would momentarily slip off onto the actors. I found this to be just a bunch of noise & emotions around nothing, wherein they waste their money & potential on divorce proceedings that neither one of them wanted, but sustained anyways out of a sick power game; meanwhile, the world's got real problems going on...In other words, there is no real problem here. Just middle-upper class, self-indulgent, first-world idiots with maniacal egos stirring one up & then acting like nothing happened because Driver needs his shoe tied...
If Baumbach needs a solid story to film he should consider reading some novels & optioning something because clearly he is just forcing something here out of what may be a drought of anything more substantial to say. It's a movie about people who have the resources to be relatively happy, but who create a problem for themselves & come out the other end with nothing--like nothing at all had happened.
heat_
The movie is an above mediocre one with some excellent acting. However it is one of the most overrated ones lately.