Emotional and honest in its affecting character portrayals, Marriage Story is a wonderfully written and acted look into marriage and divorce

Rating: 8/10 (8 December 2019)

Marriage Story is much more about the small actions that are indicative of character than big showy claims, and is so much more effective for it. Even as the story is about how a divorce happens, it's so emotionally charged because we grow to understand what their love was built on in the first place. Driver and Johansson are both absolutely exceptional, and I wouldn't mind at all if they won the two acting awards at the Oscars (especially if Nyong'o for Us and Pitt for Ad Astra don't get nominated, as it's looking). Johansson is particularly electric, showcasing her character's alternating anger and consideration. Baumbach's script is excellent, showing each character's side fairly and honestly, allowing us to empathize with both while never demonizing anyone. It's that honest, human heart of the movie that brings out the unexpectedly caring touches, like the shoe tie at the end, and the unexpected brutality, especially of one argument. It also makes plain the absurdity of the legal system, specifically in divorce, as it cost both of them boatloads of money while severely straining their relationship and not really getting either person what they wanted. In some ways, it feels like a faithful adaptation of a really well-written character driven contemporary fiction novel, where the characters are given space to be understood and where each interaction has such high emotional stakes. Extremely well made from start to finish, the ironically titled Marriage Story is intimate and deeply, honestly sad.