LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — There's nothing like watching a good divorce movie during the Holiday season. Okay, maybe there is, but Noah Baumbach's latest film is a testament to powerful acting and a sad yet hopeful...marriage story.
The film stars Adam Driver (Charlie) and Scarlett Johansson (Nicole) as a couple going through a divorce while struggling to communicate between New York and Los Angeles.
While the divorce is rough, Charlie and Nicole try their best to maintain a friendly relationship and do what is best for their kid.
But things hit a snag when Nicole gets a lawyer involved. Laura Dern (Nora) plays a confident, vindictive divorce lawyer who couches her skills inside flowery language to make you feel heard.
Eventually, Charlie hires his own douchebag lawyer and things take a turn. Ray Liotta (Jay) is your typical rude lawyer but he's only doing what he knows works for his clients in Los Angeles. The lawyers when they finally meet are jovial, showing they are more than their personas let on.
But the strength of the film relies heavily on the abilities of Driver and Johansson. The two bring to each scene the passion and anger of what a crumbling marriage is supposed to look like.
Both look as if they want to say the right things, but all the comes out are arguments and misunderstandings.
It's a sad portrayal of a marriage lost in art and the absence of words. But Marriage Story is hopeful, showing that while divorce may suck you may come out the other end a better person.
Not only for you, but for your child as well.
This may be the best movie of the year and you can watch it at home on Netflix. The best of both worlds.
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