Not the Best, but Not the Worst

Rating: 6/10 (22 January 2020)

Personally, I have been putting off seeing the critically acclaimed film Marriage Story directed by Noah Baumbach. People have been telling me to watch this film since December and I didn't really want to watch a film about a divorce around the happy holiday season. Also, I have heard from multiple sources that this film deserves all the awards that it had been nominated for and I was worried that the film wouldn't exceed my high expectations thanks to my sources. They were right, for the most part. I personally did like the film, but I can not say that I would want to watch it again.
Marriage Story is about a married couple that would like to get a divorce. Charlie (Adam Driver) wants to stay in New York and his soon to be ex-wife, Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) would like to move and stay in Los Angeles, they also have a child which just makes things much more difficult. This film accurately represents both sides of a divorce and in the end, you really do find yourself rooting for both sides. I personally think the scene where Charlie (Adam Driver) reads Nicoles (Scarlett Johansson) letter is really impactful to show how much they really loved each other and also why they needed to get a divorce. In the scene, their son Henry is trying to read the letter to his dad and he reads, "He rarely gets defeated, which I feel like I always do." Nicole writes this letter to read to Charlie in the beginning of the movie, but she never does because she says she didn't like what she wrote.
Yes, the film is a good film, but I don't think I would personally see it again. The whole movie is about a divorce and it's almost two and a half hours long. In my opinion, this is not the usual type of movie I would find myself picking out to watch on a Saturday night. At some parts of the movie, it did drag on a bit, but I feel the acting of Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, and many more definitely made up for the longevity of the movie. Noah Baumbach also directed the film, The Squid and the Whale, which is also a divorce story but not nearly as long. There are other movies that are also over two hours long, like Forrest Gump. When watching Forrest Gump, you don't feel like the movie is being dragged out to continue making the same point throughout the entire movie. I think, if maybe the movie wasn't over two hours long, more viewers would be interested.
In the film, Noah Baumbach uses many different techniques especially in point of view and costume/makeup. Throughout the movie, I feel the viewers can really understand how each character is feeling about the entire situation. We get an inside view of how Charlies friends are feeling, how Nicole's mother is feeling, and even how their child is feeling. I feel we really get everyone's perspective towards the divorce and separation. I also feel like we really get to see how the characters are feeling by what color their outfit is in some scenes. For example, in a scene where Charlie gets frustrated and angry, he is clearly wearing red to show the emotion that Baumbach wanted to portray.
I can not say the film, Marriage Story, was my favorite. But I can say that I appreciate the acting and the idea of the film. I just feel it could have been much better if it was just a bit shorter. But, I can say that if you have been through a divorce or you have seen one first hand, you may find this film to be more emotional for you. As for me, I can not say that it is my favorite nor will I be watching it again.