Marriage Story (2019)

Netflix's Marriage Story should really be more appropriately named Divorce Story as it provides an intimate look at the process and impact of divorce to a young family. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver plays this couple. One can imagine that their breakup story is nothing out of the ordinary and happens to thousands of couples all over the world. Under the hands of director Noah Baumbach, this ordinary tale of a marriage that did not work out, becomes extraordinary. Extraordinary because of the excellent performances from the cast, and the always interesting script that paints the emotions, the history, and hidden feelings of the characters so cleverly and effectively. This is evident from the onset when we are introduced to the main characters through a brief montage of their courting and early days of marriage. and subsequently through the gestures and subtle behaviour and choice of words used in conversations and arguments.

Marriage Story is also very much a story about lawyers, divorce lawyers in particular, and how they work and get what they want for their clients. Laura Dern shines in her role as the divorce lawyer for Scarlett Johansson's character as she ruthlessly and effortlessly gets her way out of all sort of discussions and arguments. She really did manage to project the behaviour of a highly experience divorce lawyer making her very believable.  Adam Driver also gave one of his best performance here showing restrained as well as a variety of emotions. The story is also reflective of the signs of times we live in today where people are often self centered and incapable of exhibiting sacrifice and compromise in order to save their marriage. Looking at the case presented here in particular, the so call irreconcilable differences could have easily been turned around with a little bit of efforts by the two parties concerned had they not put self interest and pride ahead of everything else.

Marriage Story is one of 2019's most acclaimed movies and rightly so. It fully deserves the 6 Academy Award nominations received which included 6 major ones for Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actress and Screenplay. The awards it had garnered and been nominated for is testament to the film being a showcase of excellent acting and execution of an energised and informative script that never bores. Despite the negativity that divorce conjures, Marriage Story manages to project positivity and even love which can still prevail under such circumstances.