One of the most realistic and touching films I have ever seen

Rating: 9/10 (24 January 2020)

Despite starring A-listers like Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern and Ray Liotta, the premise of Marriage Story seemed pretty cliché and sappy, so it wasn't something I was too excited to get into. However, it opened to an overwhelming account of acclaim, especially for its acting and screenplay, which encouraged me to watch it earlier than planned.
And while it takes a while to really get into, the 'while' that it takes is worth it, as the film becomes better, and better, and better. This film is not cliché. Nor is it sappy. If anything, it is easily one of the most realistic films I have ever watched in my life. Seeing as the director, Noah Baumbach, famously went through a real-life divorce with actress Jennifer Jason-Leigh, I think it's safe to assume he used many of the emotions experienced to his benefit in this film.
I have said before about films being so immersive that I forgot I was watching a film, but never have I meant it more than in here. Every single line is so life-like, and the performances show happiness, annoyance, frustration, distress, anger and more in such on-point ways, that I forgot this film starred people like Johannson, Driver, Dern and Liotta. I just saw them as characters. Something else I have to point out is the eight-year old character of Henry. Characters of this age are really hard to write, as you can write them like they're way too young and immature, or older than they're actually meant to be. In this film, however, the character was written with enough comprehension of his surroundings for an eight-year old, but with also enough innocence and naivety of other people's feelings. Azhy Robertson, who plays this character, also gives an exactly on-point performance that can rival with that of the leads.
But it's not just it's incredibly realistic acting and script. The sensitive way in which this film is directed, with the positions characters are in the scene, the colours around them, the production design and more, all add up to it's emotion as well. The film juggles a variety of tones, ranging from drama and courtroom-intrigue to comedy and quirkiness, while it never seems uneven. All the tones just blend in with each-other so well and everything just adds on to everything else. There are so many memorable scenes, that perfectly capture the right mood and feel, whether it be shocking, disturbing, sad, awkward, angering or funny. In addition to this: the editing was perhaps even more outstanding. Every timing of every cut is perfectly realised to show the specific reactions of characters to the specific actions of other characters and you barely realise when the shots are going from long-shots to close-ups because it's so gradual and in-the-moment.
The music was also handled brilliantly, both in the way characters sing, as well as the half-melancholy, half straight-out depressing background composition.
CONCLUSION:
Passionately acted, outstandingly written, and sensitively directed, 'Marriage Story' is easily one of the most realistic and touching films I have ever seen.