One of the Best Dramas of the Decade

Rating: 10/10 (9 December 2019)

I've been trying to come up with a way of reviewing this film in a way that doesn't seem like I personally directed it or something, because movies like Marriage Story don't come along very often and I just feel like gushing about how incredible is. Netflix has been releasing tons of quality content this year and this may very well be the best of their entire catalogue of feature films. Alone with Roma and their recent release of The Irishman, I believe you'll be seeing Marriage Story in contention for many, many awards in the coming months. Here's why I believe Marriage Story is a must-watch.
Not all relationships work out and if every single Romance film ever made had a happy ending, then that would just be a lie. It's nice to see a movie tackle this subject matter and stick with it from start to finish. Marriage Story is a look into the lives of Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) as they are clearly not able to keep a working marriage, but also don't want to ruin the family they have made. From gut-wrenching scenes of excessively honest dialogue and a conclusion that feels raw and true, this movie is one of the best dramas I've seen in years.
Take your pick at who outshines who here, because it really is a toss-up as to who is more incredible between Driver and Johansson. It does help that writer/director Noah Baumbach gave them outstandingly good dialogue to work with, but the way these two play off each other is as if they were given a year to prepare for these roles and get to know each other. Everything about this film felt authentic, which made the overall impact so powerful. It's not easy to watch a movie about a love story that's about how marriage sometimes doesn't work out, but this movie does it in such a way that it doesn't feel depressing throughout the majority of the duration. This is all thanks to Noah Baumbach though.
From Greenberg to While We're Young, Baumbach has been a director I've been keeping my eyes on, as I believe he has gotten better with each of his films, for the most part. It wasn't until The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) that I really started to anticipate his next movie, but now I'll be desperately awaiting to get another story from him. His talent as a director, especially on Marriage Story, is truly something else. He is best suited for movies like Marriage Story or While We're Young, where it's all about the characters because he very clearly has a knack at getting the best possible performances out of his cast.
Marriage Story begins strong, easing you into what will be a very emotional film and concludes in a way that feels natural. Overall, from these award-worthy performances, superb writing and directing, a very minimal score, which lets you sit with these characters for extended periods of time, it's very hard to nitpick this movie. There is one scene that made me chuckle, purely because I felt uncomfortable, but this movie is otherwise perfectly done. By the time 2019 ends, I feel that I may have to say this is the best movie of the year. I absolutely loved every minute of this movie. I can't recommend it enough.