Never Quite Takes Off

Rating: 7/10 (11 December 2019)

This was an enjoyable movie, particularly if you like relationship dramas of wealthy people. And they are wealthy, although the film goes through great pains-and artifice-to distance itself from the clichés trappings of upper middle class life (so prevalent in 1980s Woody Allen movies) The production design is very pared down, as if the characters are so creative that they have no time for nice things, unlike those vulgar Wall Street people Anyway, good, emotional stories are in short supply in the movies these days, so "welcome" Marriage Story. But make no mistake about it, Marriage Story is very mechanical from the start. It announces its intentions immediately with Scarlett Johannson lit like Bibi Andersson in an Ingmar Bergman movie pose: this is going to be a story about motivations and emotional drivers with lots of fighting and tears-even male tears (!) Driver and Johansen are well suited physically. His performance outshines hers because he is the superior actor. She never quite escapes into her role and is clearly the movie star doing serious. When she acts, the words are flung back onto the page. The difference Is most pronounced during their epic argument which never really takes off emotionally. It all seems like a paint by numbers. In the annals of Breakup Porn, Kramer versus Kramer still wins. It has a lot more authenticity and heart and ½ dozen memorable scenes. But again, I did like Marriage Story. The supporting cast was marvelous, really too many to name. I fully expect a Supporting Actor nomination for Laura Dern and maybe even Alan Alda. He is a great reminder of how many wonderful octogenarian actors there are out there. Speaking of Oscars, I don't know about the leads. Perhaps it will be Adam Driver, who with his big odd face and imposing height, really is the next best hope for actors.