Riley Clapton On...

Marriage Story

There is no grand analysis or deeper meaning to Marriage Story. It is As soon as this movie opened with a young Ed Gein murdering his brother simply an excellent film depicting two people navigating a trying time in their lives – no more, no less. Noah Baumbach's tale of two artists and parents going through a divorce is at once intensely emotional and surprisingly lighthearted. A premise that could easily lend itself to melodrama is instead made so relatable that it is both pleasantly and unpleasantly real; allowing all its most powerful moments to happen organically, with life continuing in between.

This is supported by an extremely clever, sparing use of bluntly symbolic imagery that punctuates key developments in the narrative and dynamic between the two leads. Some brilliant camerawork and fantastic editing frame Charlie and Nicole's experiences as opposites and parallels as necessary, and one of the film's most impressive strengths is ensuring that each gets an equal amount of attention while taking great care to avoid the viewer sympathizing more with one than the other.

The amount of raw acting talent on display here is staggering. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver fully captivate even in scenes that are little more than unbroken shots of them speaking, and the physicality they bring to Nicole and Charlie's most contentious interactions imparts to them an honesty that is brutal and disarming. Laura Dern, Ray Liotta, and Alan Alda shine as appropriately character-y family lawyers (Dern's exasperated monologue about the cultural double standard for mothers and fathers is one of my favorite bits of writing in the film) and all of the characters that surround Nicole during her sections of the narrative are perfectly cast and performed to bring levity to her more introspective turmoil.

I went into Marriage Story expecting an exploration of the emotional consequences of divorce, but there is instead a focus on the practical aspects of the process and the emotional toll they in turn take on the people involved. As such, the movie cuts very deep but doesn't give the viewer the relative comfort in the simplicity of a sad tale of broken dreams and hearts. Marriage Story portrays the natural progression of life; the depiction is all the more harrowing for its lack of simplicity.

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