Director: Noah baumbatch
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Merritt Wever
Marriage Story is a bittersweet tale about a falling apart couple. Charlie Barber (Adam Driver) is a stage-play director and his wife Nicole Barber (Scarlett Johansson) is one among his cast. After years of a happy life and a beautiful kid, Nicole realises that she sacrificed her passion to become an actor on TV just for her husband.
She is at a crossroads and decides to leave her husband and follow her dreams. Her sudden realisation brings problems and arguments between the two.
“We find out if this couple go through with the divorce and end their marriage story or not. “
The movie begins with a heartfelt narration from Charlie and Nicole about what they love in each other. ‘She keeps the fridge overfull so we are never hungry’ says Charlie and Nicole exclaims ‘He takes all of my moods steadily’. We instantly adore them both and they seem like a thoughtful and perfect couple until the story moves forward to shed light on their problems.
“Adam and Scarlett are powerhouses of performance and the film feels real and connectable because of them.”
The scene where a small argument leads to a huge fight and Charlie shouts, you can feel as if you are in the room with them, witnessing all the wreckage. The monologue Nicole has with her divorce lawyer Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern) where she expresses her feelings and how she had to compromise her dreams for Charlie is so perfect and Scarlett nails it.
. Laura as Nora also deserves credit for her remarkable and organic performance. The story feels ironical because they love each other but still cannot find a way to get past their issues. The screenplay is seamless and the flow is a major strength to the film. The movie leaves us to wonder what is more important; True passion or marriage because sometimes you cannot have both.
There is a lot of drama in the film which can be a bit too much for the audience. The harsh reality is almost disturbing as the couple who were very much in love, go at each other’s throats when things get out of hand.Laura Dern was awarded the Oscar for the best supporting actress for her role in the film. Adam and Scarlett were also nominated for best actor and best actress respectively.
Marriage Story is a worth watch for a realistic plot and fine performances of the artists.
By
Hari haran
