Marriage Story: The subtlety and elegance of Noah Baumbach's tale of divorce

Marriage Story, like most of writer-director Noah Baumbach's films, feels about as realistic a look into life as films can be. That is in no way a bad thing and I will counter that in a moment, so stay with me.

The film centres around a New York family (or is it Los Angeles, if you’ve seen it you’ll get that), but primarily the divorce between the two parents, theatre director Charlie, played by Adam Driver, and actress Nicole, played by Scarlett Johansson. To say it’s a simple plot would be ignoring the nuances and beauty of both central performances, and the expertly crafted writing and directing from Baumbach.

So while I have stated it is a simple plot that is about as realistic as films that look at real life come, I counter that by saying this is one of the most heart wrenching and stunning films I have seen in a long time.

Johansson portrays Nicole, a passionate and caring mother who’s love for her son is shown by her dedication to him, and her willingness to let her dreams of being a famous actress go at the drop of a hat for him. Driver portrays Charlie, a father who may at times be vacant due to his artistic vision, but when it comes down to the fight for custody he is ever present, dropping his obligations to travel to Los Angeles to finalise the divorce.

Nicole is the first to decide on the divorce, handing a shocked Charlie the divorce papers in a scene that is equally as oddly comedic as it is sombre. She is the one throughout the film that sets the targets and moves the goalposts, all while Charlie is struggling to keep up. Charlie doesn’t have a lawyer yet, his only money a grant/funding for his new play, and he seems to be struggling to understand why this is happening to him, and why he feels like he is being punished.

Both actors tread the line between comedic and dramatic very carefully, the tense arguing scenes an example of this. Real life has a way of inserting humour in even the most dark times, and the film portrays that effortlessly. You sometimes find yourself giggling at a comment mid argument, but not a second later you are on the verge of tears due to how real it all feels.

The divorce is not a toxic one either, and both actors remind us that these two were once deeply in love, and share huge respect for one another. Come the end of the film you may even call them friends. And while Charlie for the most part seems the one who is struggling the most, the audience primarily relating to him, Nicole also shows her motivations behind it all. It’s not so one sided, at times only seeming so due to the nature of each character, and how they are reacting to the situation. The subtleties in play with the performances, mostly from Adam Driver, similarly to how he was in Paterson, draw us in even more. To be believable, one is not required to chew the scenery or over-act. Driver shows why his relaxed style and demeanour is perfect in this role. Johansson is no slouch either, with her delivering a career best performance. Both actors have outdone themselves, making me feel like I am the one in the divorce with them.

Baumbach's script is flawless yet again. His dialogue flows majestically here, following on from and in many ways bettering The Meyerowitz Stories’ success in that department. The way the characters talk over each other, misunderstand one another, and how they all seem so impulsive, as though the words are being spoken for the first and only time, is admirable at the very least. Pulling us, the audience, through a divorce scenario in the sort of world that Baumbach builds, along with his writing and directing, makes us feel as though it is real, and as though we are there.

The film looks good too. Great in fact. The frame is somewhat shortened in width, akin to some 80’s and 90’s films, and is grainy, likely shot on film, giving us the nostalgic and soft visual touch that digital could never offer. Technically speaking the film heightens the reality of what we are seeing by cementing its ideas visually.

Oh and Laura Dern is superb. Anyway, let me stop rambling on. Just watch it for yourself. I promise, you will not be disappointed. The only disappointment you’ll feel is when the end credits roll, and I can vouch for that.