Moving and Delicate

Rating: 9/10 (15 April 2020)

I was really moved by this film. The soundtrack by Randy Newman really evokes a feeling of nostalgia and memories which really help bring out the tears during the movie, much like his soundtracks to the Toy Story films. And the tracks really compliment each scene, I noticed especially during the ending, which is where I finally cried. This is also thanks to an incredible performance from Adam Driver who really gives it his all here and despite his character not being a perfect person, you really do genuinely care about him and during some of the later scenes, his emotions start to properly come out and that's when I began to cry. The cinematography is also extremely well done and there are a lot of shots that symbolically divide the two leads and it subconsciously gives a feeling of sadness. It's shot very still and unmoving in a good way and it helps set the tone and pace of the film, which is slow yet extremely emotionally impactful, especially in the latter areas of the movie. It's just a really solid, unique and compassionate look into the real struggles of a divorce and throughout the whole film, you feel bad for both sides of the party for different reasons. And when the movie comes to a close and the two finalise the split while still maintaining a stable family life with their son, you feel a sense of melancholy relief. The letter reading scene at the end was honestly in my top 10 movie scenes of the year it was that damn touching. I think this was the right film for me to watch especially with me feeling really down recently, and it's a flick with lots of heart, solid writing, incredible acting, a stellar soundtrack and a real punch to the heart. If you're interested, watch it. It's truly one of the best of last year. Well done Noah Baumbach.