'An Uninspired Marriage Story'

Rating: 7/10 (10 December 2019)

'Marriage Story' delivers a very simple premise in a very simple way. Therefore, it can only be effective in its performances, particularly Adam Driver's. The story focuses on what divorce inflicts upon people who'd once loved each other, yet lesser movies like Billy Crystal's 'Forget Paris' have a more interesting narrative to go along with this focus, and are more colourful in their approach. I commend the film's setting of 2019, as fewer directors today opt to set their films in the contemporary time period. The reason those warm terms "70's, 80's and 90's movies" exist is because those films were actually SET in their contemporary setting. Sure, 2019 is much blander than the previous decades mentioned, but it would be nice to one day look back on the 2010's the same way we look back on the 80's for instance, in film. The overall colours and look of the film (aspect ratio, palette) are nicely adjusted, although the film itself would benefit from a few more establishing shots of New York City, again linking back to the idea of contemporary. Show the 'One World Trade Center' just like older movies showed the 'Twin Towers' for instance, staples of New York City during different eras.
I often got distracted by Scarlett Johansson's obvious 'Oscar Bait' performance, while Adam Driver is always more grounded and realistic. What an actor, honestly, especially in those closing scenes. Laura Dern I suppose is intentionally unlikeable as the lawyer, and the awesome Ray Liotta could've had a few more comedic scenes to improve his character. Perhaps as a man myself, I found myself sympathising more with Adam Driver's 'Charlie's' point of view. Essentially, 'Nicole' (Johansson) wants a more prosperous career as a director, but 'Charlie' thinks too much of himself (as a director) to bother to notice. Whenever love is conflated with career, especially with themes of envy or jealousy, it's hard to connect to 'Nicole's' story emotionally. You just get the feeling that 'Nicole' is selfish and 'Charlie' just wants (rather understandably) to KEEP things the way they were since marriage. I mean, it was HIS job. HE got her into it. She agreed to marry him. Give it a few years and then end it to pursue more? What about commitment?
Their child 'Henry' is an insufferable, annoying and exceedingly unlikeable character. I hope this wasn't intentional, and the major drive of the story is the mother and father trying to figure out what's best for him, fighting in court for him, etc. It's revealed that he's eight years old, yet he acts five in every scene he's in. Which eight year old can't read the word 'time'? I know I wasn't like this at eight years of age... And maybe kids are just getting stupider these days, but hey, I was only born in 2001. Maybe the writer and director of this film, Noah Baumbach, just doesn't understand children in general. What he's directed here, is an occasionally moving but ultimately uninspired film, whose story is lead solely on the shoulders of very good performances. It will do its duty in picking up a few accolades during Awards Season...