12/9/19 - Marriage Story (2019) - 8-/10

The depth of emotion, within the relatable script and the precisely human acting was almost unparalleled. A brilliant range of engaging humor, mundane naturalness, and profound pain. The sadness and tearing of souls is palpable.

Both of the stars were truly outstanding. Johansson was spectacular and Driver delivered his greatest performance to date. It is a tremendous showcase for the both of them, sharing the narrative and screen in a whirlwind of skill and sentiment. Truly top notch.

I don’t tend to click with Baumbach films, but this might be the exception. That said, there was still a cold perfunctory sterility to a few bits. Something that can come from well written scripts that create good characters but not as human of interactions. But even saying that, is at odds with so much of the rest of the film. I guess I would just say it lacked a certain “je ne sais quoi” that kept it from truly great.

I liked the rolling rock of inevitability and loss that tipped off the edge and rolled over them. Fantastic film-making and a viewing experience.