Back in 2019, Marriage Story was nominated for five Oscars but only walked away with one for Laura Dern. This autobiographical melodrama from Noah Baumbach tells the story of Charlie and Nicole Barber. A theatrical writer-director and his wife of many years, who gave up a promising career in films to follow him. Parts of this movie feel like vintage Woody Allen with flashbacks mapping out their relationship, while present day conflicts offer sharp relief. It lacks the humour of Allen in his heyday from Annie Hall, but the vibrant freeform conversations between Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson really work. A collage of supporting players including Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, and Laura Dern also add colour alongside conflict resolution playing a series of divorce lawyers.
Things begin amicably enough, until Nicole takes their son Henry out to Los Angeles leaving New York City. With a production transferring to Broadway and Charlie commuting between the two, things soon become complicated. Marriage Story has a fly-on-the-wall quality at times as roaming cameras eavesdrop on the mechanics behind an escalating break-up. From calm and comforting to vitriolic and verbally abusive, Baumbach ensures that these characters really go through the mill. Although the main marketing draw might have been Scarlett Johansson, who was looking to move away from Marvel and do something more serious, Adam Driver prevails at pivotal points. As much as Lost in Translation might have introduced the world to an actor with undeniable range, Johansson struggles at time match her on-screen husband.
Image via Netflix
Marriage Story might feel like a footnote now, since Noah Baumbach co-wrote Barbie with Greta Gerwig, but it still stands as a testament to their relationship. It might be a dramatization, but there is enough emotion in small moments for this movie to resonate with audiences. It comes alive, not in the scenery chewing screaming matches between Charlie and Nicole, but those flashes of affection that still exist. That is where these two actors are on an equal footing, conveying their love through small moments of unity. Elsewhere, for reasons that are intangible, Johansson loses out to Driver in ways that are impossible to pin down. Within the solid ensemble, veteran Julie Haggerty also delivers an intriguing performance as Nicole’s mother Sandra. Her comic roots coming through in the subtlest ways, adding a lightness and levity to an a truly tragic topic.
Addressing the elephant in the room for a moment, Marriage Story is not a flawless piece of work. It might seem like perfect Oscar bait, with a harrowing central premise, and free flowing narrative structure, but it also feels too long. At over two hours there are stretches of this story that verge on self-indulgent, and momentum suffers as a result. As a painfully honest portrait of a relationship on the rocks inches from reconciliation, Marriage Story is a revelation, but films including The Worst Person in the World have done it better. Those niggles aside, this Oscar winner still has plenty to recommend it, including a solid performance from the late Ray Liotta.
Marriage Story is streaming on Netflix now.