A masterpiece from start to finish

Rating: 10/10 (21 January 2020)

Noah Baumbach wasn't on my list of best directors of all time, not even on my radar, until I saw this film. On Netflix, of all places, which has been known to produce a lot of unappetizing garbage. This film, however, takes the well-worn concept of a failing marriage and makes the 2 hours it takes to explore that marriage worth every last second. You don't feel particularly biased toward either side of the marriage, and there is no clear hero/villain for you to condemn/cheer for. It's exactly what these kinds of situations end up like in real life, and the movie portrays it flawlessly. And that's just talking about the actual script and cinematography; if you're also factoring in the absolutely best performances I've ever seen from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson then the film rises to even new heights. Marriage Story deserves all the praise it gets, and more. Congratulations, Noah Baumbach, you've made an incredible film.