Mumblecore divorce story

Rating: 5/10 (15 February 2020)

What makes us watch films? We want to be moved, scared, entertained, or simply engaged. At times we achieve catharsis, but in any case we always expect the filmmaker to have something new and interesting to say. Baumbach could have given us a new perspective on divorce or engaged us emotionally, especially given his personal experience, but he failed to dig deep enough.
The problem is that in trying to be somehow objective and presenting the story from both perspectives he fails to explore the inner workings of either character. We see what is happening to them but we cannot feel it. It's like listening to a guy you just met in a pub talking about his devastated love life. You can feel sorry for him, but after a while you just want to get back to your business. The most obvious comparison, Kramer vs Kramer was a bit of a melodrama, but it had something new to say, as it was questioning traditional parental roles. Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage gave us a precise dissection of the ego of its two protagonists and showed us new depths of human psyche. The war of the Roses was as far fetched as it was hilarious, but represented a cautionary tale for all those who do not choose to split up amicably. What did marriage story give us after two and a half long long hours?
We find out that divorcing is not pleasant and that divorce lawyers say nasty things.
The only reason we end up feeling sorry for the couple is that because of their expensive lawyers they are going broke. They are supposed to fight for their kid's custody, but we never really feel their love for the kid. We have to believe that they care because that's what's parents do, but from what I see I don't understand why adam driver simply didn't go back to his life in New York.
As per the acting, to me it looks like good but not outstanding improvisation. Adam driver could pull convincing facial expressions, but he seems to have lost his charm, while Scarlett Johansson tries so hard to deliver her monologues in an oscar worthy fashion but looks like she's acting all the time.
I really don't understand Hollywood's obsession with Baumbach and his partner Greta Gerwig. I find them so dull and boring.
Maybe you have to be a millennial to get their movies.