by Jack Miller ’21

“Marriage Story,” the new Netflix dramedy from acclaimed filmmaker Noah Baumbach, explores the ins and outs of the divorce system through the lens of Nicole (Scarlett Johannson) and Charlie (Adam Driver), a New York showbiz couple that engage in a grueling coast-to-coast divorce that pushes the two to their personal extremes. As their seedy attorneys battle it out for who will get custody of their eight-year old son Henry, Nicole and Charlie lose sight of the love they once had for each other.

This film hurts. It’s full of rage, confusion, and hatred and it feels excruciatingly real. It’s overwhelming at times––the emotional anguish being displayed on screen so flawlessly, the raw pain it forces down your throat, and not to mention the downright infuriating legal system the film critiques––it can feel like too much. There are scenes that will infuriate you and scenes that will pummel you to the floor and scenes that will make you want to lie down and weep. It’s as brutally honest and emotionally raw as a film can get. Johannson and Driver add another level of authenticity to the film as they masterfully convey the fury, hopelessness, and desperation boiling inside the two ex-lovers. Baumbach’s laid-back direction lets the two actors take center-stage and dominate the screen. One scene in particular pits the two powerhouse performers directly against each other in a ruthless argument, allowing them to let out all of their pent-up fury and heartache in vicious fashion. 

“Marriage Story” is frequently labeled as a depressing film. At times, it most certainly is. Watching the once-passionate couple tear each other to shreds is absolutely devastating, and the film’s outstanding performances only make it more painful. To say, however, that the film is nothing more than just a heap of misery is selling it very short. “Marriage Story” is filled to the brim with tenderness and sympathy. Based off Baumbach’s real-life divorce with actress Jennifer Jason-Leigh, the film feels incredibly intimate, vulnerable, and compassionate. Though it feels depressing and agonizing at times, it’s made bearable by the amount of warmth, love, and humor sprinkled throughout. Every aspect of Baumbach’s direction is gorgeous; the soft and naturalistic cinematography, the gentle set design, Jennifer Lame’s genius editing, and the poignant score all complement the script indescribably well. The film’s potency extends to its fervorous screenplay, which is sensationally heartfelt, especially in the final act. The conclusion is stunningly beautiful and somehow even more stirring than everything that came before it. 

In the end, “Marriage Story” is a very bittersweet film. It’s as heartbreaking as it is heartfelt. Many will find it depressing but there’s so much humor and love and vitality that it all feels more than worth it in the end. It’s like a series of powerful, gut-wrenching punches followed by a warm hug. You’ll laugh out loud and you’ll cry even louder. This is a remarkably human film about more than just divorce; it’s about what it means to love, what it means to feel, and what it means to be alive. 

Grade: A+