Marriage Story – the tragic marriage that became the masterpiece of “Black Widow” Scarlett Johansson
Marriage Story is one of the strong candidates of the 2020 Oscar season. With the participation of two big stars, Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, the film realistically and vividly describes the divorce process of an artist couple.
1. Unexpectedly attractive story
Everyone says that living together is difficult and leaving each other is easy, but Marriage Story proves the opposite. Charlie (Adam Driver) is an up-and-coming theater director and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) used to be a famous TV star. Nicole is frustrated because she has to live according to her husband’s wishes while Charlie doesn’t feel guilty. They decide to break up peacefully. However, the divorce process becomes complicated when the couple conflicts over the custody of their son.
A normal divorce can also become a fierce battlefield when both sides refuse to give in. Every move and path must be clearly arranged to defeat the opponent and win for their side. The film chooses an interesting topic and has a smart way of telling the story.
2. Great acting of the male and female leads
Surely Marriage Story would not be so good if the film did not star Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver. After a decade of being labeled as a “sexy female fighter”, Scarlett Johansson has a role that proves her ability. Scarlett’s Nicole is on the outside a very sweet and polite person. Even though she is divorced, she still treats her ex-husband very well. However, Nicole takes the initiative. She is determined to regain the life that belongs to her in Los Angeles. Scarlett’s tearful eyes when confiding in lawyer Nora Fanshaw is one of the best scenes of the film.
Besides, Charlie, although he is patriarchal, is not a bad husband or father. He was shocked by his ex-wife’s decisive decisions. His only wish was to bring his son back to live with him in New York, but to achieve that, he had to go through costly and time-consuming court cases. With his artistic appearance and sharp eyes, Adam Driver is very suitable for the role. The star of Star Wars and BlacKkKlansman is not overshadowed by Scarlett Johansson even though he is ten years younger than her in the industry.
3. The movie is not for everyone
Marriage Story is good and engaging, but experienced audiences will sympathize and find the movie more meaningful than those who are not married. In the nearly 2 and a half hours of the movie, some people may find the conflict between Charlie and Nicole not too serious, why can’t they reconcile with each other? But perhaps the majority of the reasons for the breakup of couples are due to such seemingly “silly” reasons.
As a psychological film, Marriage Story’s pace is quite slow, mostly dialogue scenes. Static camera angles and character close-ups are used mainly. If you want to watch a movie with a thrilling plot or a dramatic twist, Marriage Story is not a good choice. However, if you want to learn more about married life, this is one of the best works.
