Charlie is a theater director who comes from nothing while Nicole is a loving mother to their child Henry. Nicole started out as being an actress in L.A. and then moved to New York to support Charlie while also being a prominent member of his theater company. Their marriage isn't in the best place however because they are in the middle of getting a divorce. What they agreed was going to be an easy process eventually turns into a nasty legal fight that brings out suppressed thoughts and huge amounts of tension. The probable sole reason for the inclusion of the legal system? Custody over their child.
The film starts out with monologues about what each character loves about the other. Charlie loves how Nicole is so kind to everyone and how she listens while Nicole loves Charlie's overall independent and fatherly qualities. It's such a sweet moment to have as the opening for a film, but you're immediately pulled out of that almost romantic-comedy fantasy as we see Nicole and Charlie in a therapy session in the next shot. You can tell that the sweet tones suggested by the opening is not what the film is going to be cause there is a huge amount of tension between the two characters during this scene. Starting out the film like this is great because having that starting point of where they used to be makes the journey down to divorce all the more heartbreaking.
The opening monologues also ease the audience into its dual narrative structure. The film spends time with both characters and we get to see both sides of this marriage and why it doesn’t work. In the beginning we spend a lot of time with Nicole and we see her feelings about Charlie, but as the film progresses we get to hear Charlie's side. While I don't think the goal of the film is to force the audience to make a decision on who was right and who was wrong, I do think that maybe the film struggles a little bit to disassociate from bias because we don't get as much time with Nicole as we do with Charlie. While we do see Nicole's perspective and how this process impacts her, we see more of the process through Charlie's eyes. The legal meetings and the time spent with Henry are spent with Charlie as our conduit more so than with Nicole. Maybe the film could be a little more balanced if we got to spend just a little more time with Nicole and her mom and sister.
I can think of maybe one reason the film is this way. Most of the legal battle takes place in L.A. and since Nicole is from there she has a support system with her family and friends. From what the film discloses, Charlie is no longer in contact with his parents so he pretty much has to go through this divorce alone with an old, retired lawyer as the most comfort he gets. The financial and emotional struggle this has on him is probably more engaging for an audience than watching Nicole having a little bit more convenience. However, I'm not implying any sort of bias towards Charlie. I do think the film does a great job in showing this process and how there really are two sides to every story.
Marriage Story's objective commitment to its characters and authenticity are what make it a wonderful experience. The only thing that could bring this full circle is the acting, and unsurprisingly, it's amazing. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are fantastic to watch and the film does something that I don't think a lot of films do. Yes, they are getting a divorce and their relationship does dwindle down throughout the film, but there are many moments where they are so civil with each other. Nicole still offers Charlie a haircut, Nicole kisses him when he comes to her mom's house, and they do make a decent effort to work things out despite their lawyers acting otherwise. They understand that there is no future for them and there are moments, especially one, where the tension rises to fighting, but nothing is exaggerated. Even with no over-dramatization, although it's not necessary, the film still finds a way to foster an emotional reaction between the audience and its characters. Particularly in its last moments, the film helps you realize that no matter how many years pass, it will be almost impossible for the two to un-love each other. It's the most authentic story I've experienced this year. 10/10
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