Review of Marriage Story (2019) by Ancientamber — 08 Dec 2019

The performances of the two leads in this film are virtuosic. We've always known ScarJo is an excellent actress but I think this is her peak so far. Many times the actors portray the subtext of a conversation or half-hidden feelings in a more true-to-life manner than I've seen almost anywhere else; so that we feel as though we are on the titanic, watching an iceberg emerge from the darkness with dread inevitability. When those feelings do come to the surface, it is with simultaneous relief and crushing loss.

I often found myself thinking that the marriage could have been saved and that is why this only gets a 9. I wasn't sold on the idea that their marriage was that bad. This is either the fault of the writer for not conveying the misery of the marriage (although one could argue that this is outside the scope of the film, and the viewer is simply to take this for granted), or due to the selfishness of either one or both of the characters. The fact that I don't know which of these is the cause is either a minor stroke of genius or a minor annoyance, hence the -1. Being a romantic, I found the film quite wrenching. I recommend it to all who enjoy good acting and being put through the wringer. Some films hurt-so-good, but this one kinda just hurts.