Marriage Story
Written and directed by Noah Baumbach
I can't seem to find the words to describe the feeling I have after watching Marriage Story. There doesn't seem to be a word in my lexicon to capture the emotional weight of seeing two powerhouse performances that equally bring such warmth and joy into your heart, before squeezing it so hard you feel as though you can barely breathe, gravitas perhaps seems along the right vein, enigmatic, enchanting, mesmerizing? Words carry weight but this cinematic experience was endearing. There are looks an actor gives that need no words, there are sentiments that cannot be fathomed because you understand what they're going through because you've felt them before, and as a viewer you relate, you follow along the journey and hope for the best because you care. There was care placed in this film. Noah Baumbach has etched his soul into cinematic history by giving this tour de force to the world, no matter how bleak and vulnerable it can be, how immaculate and touching certain moments are, how you want things to get better but know that they are as they should be and have to be, but still you want it all to be okay. Because in the end of it all, it does become okay...
Marriage is hard. This film drew upon emotions from when my parents divorced and I was reminded how painful that was, though I felt my experience, I could only imagine what it must have been like for them. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson give career defining performances, wherein they have both arrived at such strength in their careers that they can perform these roles with as much honesty and care as Baumbach has provided in his script and direction. Their chemistry is wonderful and the story is set up in a way for you to feel that love, and how tragic it becomes once it begins the separation, and the onslaught of struggle that encompasses the results of divorce. The intricate nature of settling a life lived is never easy. Baumbach makes it difficult, which is hard because you love them both, and you don't want them to go through this, but you have to see them venture upon this division, and it hurts but it is in that pain wherein the beauty shows.
Isn't that the true nature of art? To make you feel? No matter what the sentiment, the fact that you are moved means, that the work is successful. There is change in your being and the cinematic process has shifted your attention, hopefully for the better. I don't like to write reviews, I like to write about experiences. This one was a visceral triumph. This was watching Scarlett and Adam on stage in a strong two hander as strong as Blanche and Stanley, rivaling each other toe to toe, delivering each blow with precision and accuracy, timing and grace. They deserve Oscar noms and a breath of fresh air. It was joyful and nerve-wracking, it made me squirm seeing that envelope so close to Charlie in the kitchen, my eyes veering closer and closer in it's direction. The apartment scene made me sullen, tearing up ever so dramatically as they have shown their insides being torn apart, their walls breaking down and their lives tragically soften into wet sand. But as the waves crash, and the tide settles, you hold onto the feelings of joy, that heart that was there from the beginning. Knowing, this too shall pass, and as it does you are left with a cathartic breath of fresh air, a sigh of relief, a moment of fulfillment and transformation. Life goes on and all that remains are your feelings able to wash back into the sea, as you wait for the wounds to heal and for time to run it's course.
