Engaging.

Rating: 7/10 (7 December 2019)

The title may seem ironic; 'Marriage Story' is, after all, about a divorce. However as much as it's about the end of a marriage, it's the little moments of love and affection that Baumbach really chooses to focus on. It's an engaging character study and nuanced look at the legal system that is extremely well written and features some of the best performances of the year. Seriously, Johansson and Driver are at the top of their games here, injecting life into their characters in even the quietest of moments. That's where the film really succeeds, too. For a story about a divorce, there are less arguments than you'd expect. Of course, they do happen and are expertly done (one scene in particular is destined to become a classic and is sure to be studied as a masterclass in writing and acting), but it's the restrained, subtler scenes that really create the most emotion, and highlight the strength of the piece. While it's obviously sad and emotionally affecting in that regard, it's also surprisingly funny. Even though it's never hilarious, there's a sense of humour injected into nearly every scene. This is mainly due to how realistically the piece is written, as the humour comes from common, everyday interactions more than jokes. Again, the simple fact that this tone works highlights just how strong the writing is. One of its biggest missteps, however, is its focus on Driver's character, Charlie. After an introduction to both parties, the film begins with a heavy focus on Johansson's character Nicole, then shifts to Charlie's perspective. The problem is that from there onwards the audience sees things very much from Charlie's perspective, even if the flick ensures that neither Charlie or Nicole are seen as a 'villain'. Because it initially establishes itself as a two-sided piece, it does feel a bit limiting that Charlie is undeniably the protagonist. That's not to say that Nicole isn't a great character, however. Whenever she is on screen, Johansson and the writing are great. We do primarily see her from Charlie's perspective, though, which obviously limits things. Luckily, this isn't enough of an issue to ruin the film by any means, and it's something that's more of a problem upon reflection rather than when actually watching it. Randy Newman's score is a little bit of a problem, too. While the music is in itself great, it is very similar to Newman's 'Toy Story 3' (2010) score, so whenever it plays it is simply reminiscent of that film rather than serving to enhance this one. That's a very minor issue, though, and likely something that won't affect most viewers. Overall, 'Marriage Story' is engaging throughout with a great screenplay and subtlety gripping performances. It's certainly one of the years' better films and it's a shame that most people will only be able to see it on the small screen. 7/10