Where Love Has Gone

Rating: 10/10 (8 December 2019)

GRADE: A
THIS FILM IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: A searing indictment about divorce that devastates in the subtlest of ways.

JIM'S REVIEW: I openly wept at the conclusion of Noah Baumbach's deeply disturbing Marriage Story, a lacerating portrait of love lost. This highly personal account of divorce ranks among the best films of this or any year.
Mr. Baumbach creates a story about two good but wounded people that is raw in its emotion and brutally honest in its treatment. There are so many small intimate moments throughout this gripping film with which one can easily identify to so many couples who lives suddenly take different paths. Such is the case of Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) and Charlie Barber (Adam Driver), two successful New York theater types who seem to be going through the paces of their marriage.
The film begins brilliantly with voiceover narration and shared glimpses of happier times with the Barber family. We hear each of the couple's loving words about each character's positive traits, although Nicole is unwillingly to state her feelings aloud. Their marital troubles intensify when she decides to leave Charlie's theater company and moves to Los Angeles for an acting gig in a television pilot, taking their eight year old son, Henry (Azhy Robertson), with her while Charlie stays in New York to ready his Broadway directorial debut. Their bicoastal relationship quickly dissolves. Like so many well-intentioned couples, their aim is to split amicably, but they helplessly free-fall into a biased legal system that systematically destroy the lives of families already in pain.
This is Mr. Baumbach's finest film to date. His resume is growing more and more impressive. His direction here is flawless and his screenplay is even more impressive in its well-played words and somewhat cruel actions. As screenwriter, he does stack the deck slightly against Nicole and her possible manipulation of their situation and allows Charlie to automatically become a tragic victim of circumstances. But that is a minor issue in Mr. Baumbach's concise and insightful storytelling. His tale of marriage and its flip side is mesmerizing. This all builds to a gut-wrenching confrontation scene between the warring couple that is the film's highlight (or perhaps lowlight just might be a better term). The overall effect of their marital loss ranks with some of the best films about divorce ever made. Family-based dramas like Ingmar Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage, Robert Benton's Kramer vs. Kramer, or Stanley Donan's Two for the Road come to mind.
The ensemble is exceptional. Laura Dern plays Nora Farshaw, Nicole's barracuda of a divorce lawyer. Her performance is spot-on and she delivers a wild and cynical view of life, especially in her overt rant about motherhood that is simultaneously funny and very sad. Alan Alda and Ray Liotta skillfully depict two versions of L.A. divorce lawyers that show the inter trappings of the law system so perversely accurate. Julie Hagerty and Marritt Weaver play Nicole's mother and sister and they both offer solid support in their smaller roles. As the Barber's son, young Mr. Robertson delivers a natural and compelling performance as a confused and angry child caught in his parent's battle for control.
But it is Ms. Johansson and Mr. Driver who ground the film with all their blistering pain and rage. Their acting is simply superb. In the more difficult role, Ms. Johansson portrays a woman thwarted by her life choices and yearning for more. At times, her character must be vulnerable or selfish and the actress is unafraid to show Nicole's uglier side. It is a fearless performance. Mr. Driver's Charlie goes through more of a metamorphosis and his arc is extremely moving. The actor shows his character's frustration, his insatiable need for self expression at the cost of wife's need for equality, and his ongoing inability to connect his feelings with her demands. He is outstanding. Both actors deliver their best performances in their already established careers which should be remembered this award season.
Bad things do happen to good people and Marriage Story is that poignant love story worth retelling. This thought provoking film concludes full circle in two bittersweet scenes that reveal the cost of love and the tragedy of a failed marriage. Mr. Baumbach and company deserve all the accolades for their powerful cinematic statement. Marriage Story is one of the year's best dramas. By all means, go! And bring your tissues with you.