ACADEMY AWARD WINNER

Marriage Story
REVIEWER: HA THUY TIEN

A FILM BY

NOAH BAUMBACH

SCARLETT JOHANSSON A D A M D R I V E R
 Marriage Story:
After divorce, not just the end of love

An ups-and-downs marriage journey of a couple who is always admirable and believed to

hardly put an end to their love would be depicted truthfully, subtly and emotionally in this tender,
stinging film - “Marriage Story”.
Inspired by the filmmaker Noah Baumbach’s broken marriage, this over-two-hour movie doesn’t
set off an extraordinary series of events but portrays vividly all stages of a modern-day divorce:
beginning, divergence, climax and breaking. This full of humanity work not only sends out a
meaningful message about marriage but the viewers also learn precious lessons about love and life.
Baumbach has an eye for actors when casting Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver in the role of
an artistic couple as they are very accomplished actors and consummate professionals and they carry
it off brilliantly. I have to admit that the chemistry between them is top-notch which greatly
contributes to expressing all the feelings and thoughts, immersing themselves in the character and
helping the viewers gain an insight into the situation that protagonists suffer from.
 Marriage Story:
After divorce, not just the end of love

For those who see the movie’s name at the first time,
they may think it’s an engaging and touching narrative of a
happily-ever-married life. However, “Marriage story”
actually begins with the end of a marriage between Charlie
and Nicole who are not only man and wife but also friends
and colleagues. Nicole, a former teenage movie star, sets
aside her bright promising future to support her husband’s
career and becomes a leading performer in the experimental
stage company in which Charlie is the director. They are
praised, admired and even believed to be a captivating
match that never divorces. Having said that, those given
correlations might be helpless for a relationship on the verge
of separation which shouldn’t be seen as the end of love. The
point is though they love each other, it’s the disharmony,
the incomprehension, the messy collapse of a shared reality
that lead their seem-to-be-happy marriage to an unwanted
ending.
 Although for many, they hope there
will be a happy ending for the couple, I
still deem that an opening ending is

MARRIAGE STORY
perfect and the most satisfying, making
a lasting impression on the audience. In
the last scene, it’s just a small expressive
action but has the power of releasing all
the emotional tension, leaving a sense of
Currently, I’m just a college student so I
pleasure and gladness. I realize after
might not understand thoroughly the
divorce is not the end of love but the
separation, the related legal decisions
forgiveness, the acceptance, and
or the death throes shown in the movie
perhaps friendship. Separation can be
but its leitmotif colors are absolutely
the best worst thing for marriage.
out of this world, awakening my
interest. The warm grain vintage film
colors with the contrast between light
and dark shades bring an old peaceful
vibe which somehow lessens the strain
of the main issue - divorce, giving a
sense of relief and quietness even in the
tensest moments.
 “Marriage story” is a beautiful and touching movie with both a calm and stifling atmosphere,
presenting a modern issue: divorce while raising our thoughts of love, kindness and humanity. It
completely deserves the Winner of Academy Award in 2020 and if you’re looking for an amazingly
meaningful film, just watch it. “Marriage story” will be well-worth your time!

"There're people in love shouldn't belong to each other,

and the kindness is the most wonderful thing to drive the pain away"
_Marriage Story_