Marriage Story (2019) — Riley Cross Reviews

Director: Noah Baumbach | Last Rented On: 2019

When Marriage Story dropped back in 2019, it changed the entire vibe of movie rentals around here. People stopped asking for action heroes and started grabbing the tissues at the counter. I remember watching a preview on the big screen and thinking, "This looks incredibly uncomfortable." And I was right.

If you’re planning a proper "Night In" for tonight, this is the pick if you’re in a serious mood. This isn't a feel-good popcorn flick where everything ends with a laugh track. This is Noah Baumbach at his most raw, except instead of boxing gloves, we’re using lawyers, therapists, and kids’ schedules. It’s messy, loud, and quiet all at once. If you remember back when Blockbuster was the only game in town, you know that a rental usually cost about five bucks. This is worth every penny, even if you spend half the night crying into the crinkly plastic case.

I’d save this specific film for the exact kind of Tuesday night where you’ve had a fight with your significant other and you don't know how to fix it. It’s the movie that validates your pain without being too heavy-handed. You know the kind of night—after the dishes are done, after the dog is walked, and you're sitting there wondering how you got here.

The chemistry between Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson is electric in the best way. You’ve probably seen the clips of Charlie screaming about writer's block in a packed theater—that was iconic. But the scene that really gets me—the one that feels the most intimate—is when Nicole and Charlie meet in that sunlit living room. They aren't fighting; they are just trying to hold on to who they used to be, and realizing that trying to do that together is impossible. It’s heartbreaking.

It’s the kind of movie that makes you pick up the phone and call your parents, just to say thanks. Or maybe just to make sure you don't handle your own impending doom quite like Charlie Spielman does.

Bottom line: A painfully beautiful masterpiece that reminds us communication is actually the hardest thing we have to do.