A Drama Done Right: Marriage Story

Nothing is more telling of true love’s limits than divorce.

A Drama Done Right: Marriage Story: 5/5 ⭐️

In Noah Baumbach’s 2019 film Marriage Story, this very concept is fleshed out and analyzed at its core through acerbic storytelling, impeccable performances, and niche cinematography.

Baumbach’s narrative is arguably one of the most recognizable features of modern dramas, and Marriage Story doesn’t shy away from his on-the-nose, sadistic writing style. The tribulations of a couple parting ways are layered with the unseen rage, hurt, and bitter remorse that lingers post a visceral divorce. A simple story of two lovers who’ve grown apart, while seemingly trivial, invokes an enormous range of emotions out of its audience solely due to Baumbach’s incredible gift for storytelling. 

Performances by Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Laura Dern left critics drowning in Oscar buzz, still being praised by film studios as the best to have ever graced the big screen. Driver, dubbed as a husband filled with regrets, strays away from his pigeonholed cult classic “Star Wars” to emerge as Charlie in the drama. Marvel-star Johansson also steps out of the superhuman bubble as Nicole, who scrambles to put a life back together that was never quite solid in the first place. Finally, in a supporting role, Laura Dern delivers a brilliant performance as the wife’s professional counterpart in court proceedings. It is difficult to believe there was once merely a script and pen in hand at the start of this project, as the acting performances truly lifted audiences into a completely different dimension.

Finally, the absolutely phenomenal cinematography. There’s a scene where Charlie is shown panned out horizontally, minimizing the husband’s tall, outward stance. Then, out of nowhere, he and the audience are hit with a kitchen-cabinet to the head. This minuscule detail represents the entirety of what this film does right— accentuate the small jabs of a failing marriage that eventually leads to its downfall. Marriage Story, in all its glory, couldn’t have been properly conveyed without the ingenuity of its cinematography.

A marriage functions similarly to the human body; while a body may decompose with all the trauma it faces, there will always remain the bones. The bones of a marriage, despite being put through the ringer, will always be an indication of what was. Baumbach conveys this to the tee with Charlie and Nicole in Marriage Story. 💍