Authentic performances in the best screenplay of 2019

Rating: 8/10 (28 December 2019)

Director Noah Baumbach has created a beautiful piece of cinema with Marriage Story. A heartfelt and honest retelling of a divorce between two patrons of theatre, the dance between leads Adam Driver (Charlie) and Scarlett Johansson (Nicole) is captivating cinema. Their interactions span quiet conversation to explosive argumentation, and they move seamlessly between the two thanks to a razor sharp script. The real art, however, is the infused comedic elements: they are subtle and disguised, but are welcome in snapping the viewer back to the realities of each situation.
The couple's lives are a myriad of compromises that increase in complexity: whether to live in NYC or LA, who their young son Henry should stay with, and who's career prospects warrants the next jump into the unknown. Their divorce proceedings are amicable to begin, but external parties circumstances muddy the waters and soon every detail is scrutinised and manipulated. Watching the divorce lawyers have the argument they themselves cannot wrestle with is a bizarre concept, but shows the soullessness that breaking up a marriage can require; on top of this, the lawyers know nothing between them is personal, but that couldn't be further from the truth for Charlie and Nicole.
The leads (and, indeed, the majority of the cast) are superb in their casting and performances. Adam Driver is already an actor I hold in very high regard - his flexibility and comedic qualities are a true gift, but his compassion and anger when acting are so believable. I feel some remorse for Johansson, in that she is largely known for her one-dimensional requirements to play Black Widow in the Marvel franchise, but this sort of work demonstrates her real talent in more weighty roles. The snap of the script is made even more impressive by knowing that virtually nothing is improvised - Baumbach has their hesitations and outbursts orchestrated to the finest details.
Cinematographically, Marriage Story uses unique angles and environmental features to accentuate each shot and the feelings conveyed: the attitudes of the arthouse couple inspire these frames, where open plan rooms alongside continuous shots are effectively used. Some scenes are also filmed with shallow depths of field to make the subject sharp and resolute, a technique given additional power by the grainy effect applied to the footage. Classical compositions often accompany the emotion of the moment, but some scenes are bereft of music to let the viewer decide the mood for themselves.
Baumbach's directorial methodology might be painstaking, but the rewards are clear to see. His vision is infectious, and he demonstrates such a unique style that, even if you cannot empathise with the story from personal experience, you become drawn in. Both Driver and Johannson may be in line for some heavyweight nominations come awards season, and any victories would be, in my book, wholly justified.