Marriage Story ***** (2019, Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, Julia Greer, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta) – Movie Review

Writer-director Noah Baumbach’s semi-autobiographical Marriage Story (2019) should be called Divorce Story. It is the portrait of a marriage breaking up, broken up, and a once-loving couple trying to pick up the pieces.

Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Laura Dern are up for deserved Oscars this year for Marriage Story, which is also nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Original Screenplay (Noah Baumbach) and Best Original Score (Randy Newman).

But, in the event, the film was unlucky and Laura Dern won the film’s only Oscar, only Golden Globe and only BAFTA Film Award as Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Noah Baumbach’s generous spirited examination of the pain of a marriage breaking up Marriage Story (2019) is a brilliant movie. The writing and acting are stupendous. It powers along fascinatingly for 137 minutes, without hiccup or flaw. The film company Netflix claims that it is incisive and compassionate, and it is easy to agree with that, though we could add funny, poignant, entertaining and charming too.

It is almost certainly Johansson’s best acting, and probably Driver’s and Dern’s too. Driver’s character is the more sympathetic, after all the movie is written by Mr Baumbach, but Johansson finally succeeds in winning you over to her side, maybe, just. Dern is exceptionally warm and sympathetic as Nora Fanshaw. Alan Alda and Ray Liotta are further assets as contrasting lawyers. Good to know that Alda hasn’t lost his sense of humour – or comedy timing for that matter. And Liotta hasn’t lost his ability to be nice and slimy on screen either.

In November 2019, it was announced that Manhattan’s Paris Theater 571-seat single-screen cinema would reopen for a run of Marriage Story and would be a venue for Netflix events, screenings and theatrical releases. The Paris was opened on 13 September 1948 by Marlene Dietrich and is Manhattan’s sole-surviving single-screen cinema.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Movie Review

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

Laura Dern won Marriage Story’s only Oscar, only Golden Globe and only BAFTA Film Award as Best Actress in a Supporting Role.