Jesus

Rating: 10/10 (5 April 2020)

Marriage Story was easily my most anticipated film of the year and it met all of my expectations. Essentially every aspect of this was done perfectly. I don't think I've seen a film be this heartbreaking while also being pretty funny throughout. That alone probably makes this my favorite screenplay of the year.
The pacing in Marriage Story never seemed to drag throughout its runtime. The story feels so complete. It goes beyond what typical movies would go for, so the 2 hours feels full rather than bloated. Not to mention the fact that the characters, in true Baumbach form, actually feel real.
The acting was, of course, outstanding in this. While this isn't my favorite Scarlett Johansson performance, it's a pretty fantastic one at that. Both her & Adam Driver easily give some of the best performances of the year. Laura Dern, Ray Liotta & Alan Alda were great as well.
Behind the camera, Noah Baumbach isn't doing anything mind-blowing, but this movie never looks dull. It always looks beautiful, like a classic film in the making. The music from Randy Newman was also amazing.
I genuinely don't know how this could've been executed better. This could've been another forgetful Oscar bait movie. Instead, Noah Baumbach delivered a truly substantive film that people will talk about for a while.