A decent film about the transformation of a relationship, but it is not a romantic movie

Rating: 8/10 (22 December 2019)

This is a film about the complexity of relationships - how two people can be so deeply connected yet so utterly disconnected at the same time. While the film focuses on a tiny window through the entirety of a decade long relationship, it was a transformational moment, the culmination of years of communication breakdown and growing apart. The divorce lawsuit gave both a chance of reality check - through the eyes of the lawyers and the judicial system, they were forced out of their own narrative to re-examine what happened to their relationship, which roles they played in the sequence of events, as well as how to go forward with the best interest of the child in mind. In the process, they also went from being self-centric and directing emotions outwards, to being more inner looking and empathetic. In the end, decisions about relationships are highly personal and subjective. Good or bad, relationships can never go back to where they were once upon a time. The film captures this aspect of life very well.
The actors did a phenomenal job and the music choices are excellent. However, I do feel at times that the film dragged a bit. In additional, beware that many emotional and plot transitions are subtle, yet closely connected. The actors delivered that brilliantly, but not every viewer caught those slight shifts in the details, which is reflected on some of the confusion or frustration about the movie expressed in the reviews written here. It is not a film about romance, or evil lawyers, or parental responsibilities. Unfortunately, the trailer is a bit misleading and some viewers probably had a different expectation going in.
All in all, this is a well-made film and I recommend it to people who are interested in movies about relationships that have healthy amount of realism and maturity.