MARRIAGE STORY: Baumbach's Timely Musing on Modern Love (and Divorce)

Photo Credit: IMDb

I recently reviewed Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, and now we turn our attention to another Netflix Oscar contender, Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story. Which is the stronger contender for Best Picture? Let's find out...

Part 1: An Introduction to Genius

You could say that writer/director Noah Baumbach was born into the business. His father, Jonathan Baumbach - who passed away in March - was a novelist and film critic and his mother, Georgia Brown, is also a well-regarded critic. Noah has 14 directorial credits on IMDb, many of which contain autobiographical elements. His breakthrough film, The Squid and the Whale, was famously influenced by his parents' divorce, which occurred during his childhood. The Squid and the Whale is framed from the perspective of a child of divorce. 

Well, here we are again. Noah's divorce from actress Jennifer Jason Leigh was quite public back in September of 2013, and now (as a result?) we have the superb Marriage Story, which could just have easily been titled Divorce Story. Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) is an actress and Charlie (Adam Driver) is a director. Hmm. 

And Baumbach hits all the right notes in the opening sequences of Marriage Story. Often in a romance - I'm hesitant to call this a "romantic comedy", though it kind of is - the character building occurs gradually. Sometimes there's no character building at all. Sometimes in a romance we have "man" and "woman" in movie land, and we're expected to know exactly what those labels entail. But that couldn't be further from the truth in Marriage Story, the work of a far more thoughtful filmmaker. 

Instead, Baumbach opens with a bang - a virtuoso sequence during which both protagonists are described in great detail. Nicole is describing Charlie in a letter she penned, and vice-versa. Unfortunately, we quickly learn these letters were written as reminders of why they fell in love in the first place; Nicole and Charlie are sitting on opposite sides of the room with a mediator, talking divorce.

And these letters are storytelling genius because we become more invested in Nicole and Charlie than we normally would be at such an early stage of a romance. Sometimes we have to wait and see whom we like better; but not here, not in Marriage Story.

In Marriage Story, we get the picture right out of the gate - Nicole and Charlie are good, normal, complicated people. Like anybody else. Sure, their professions are often romanticized - actress and director - but these two characters are just people. They both have their own selfish needs. Each complements the other. They have things in common, and drastic differences of opinion. They are a young couple with an 8-year old son in the middle; just trying to figure it all out together, or apart.

The first part of Marriage Story isn't about figuring out whom we side with; no, it's about trying to figure out how these two nice, talented people just couldn't make it work.

Part 2: Less Plot, More Character

Marriage Story isn't a plot movie. There aren't any dramatic twists - Scar Jo doesn't turn out to be a superhero and Driver isn't a psycho stalker in waiting. Nicole and Charlie are getting divorced, and Henry's (Azhy Robertson) fate is hanging in the balance. 

Enter three attorneys: Nora Fanshaw, Jay Marotta and Bert Spitz - they are Laura Dern, Ray Liotta and Alan Alda, respectively. All three are fantastic. The comparisons to Kramer vs. Kramer are (somewhat) warranted, and I love that film, too. This is a movie about a custody battle, and Dern, Liotta and Alda all bring different styles and perspectives to that battle. 

Dern makes Nora a hyperized power attorney; she knows the ins and outs of her business and exploits them whenever necessary. Her two sides come out in the respective battles with Jay and Bert; the latter begins as Charlie's attorney, and his aww shucks demeanor extinguishes Nora's fire. She knows Bert is a lamb. In the end, she and Nicole are going to win, so she concedes some of the minor negotiation points. 

But that version of Nora quickly goes out the window when Jay takes over for Bert. Jay is a shark, and apparently Nora is too (when she needs to be). Dern and Liotta are electrifying in the courtroom. They attack one another with vigor and vitriol, and it's a real pleasure to behold. I buy Jay Marotta and Nora Fanshaw as high-powered attorneys who existed before the opening credits of Marriage Story. Yes, these are showy performances, but the characters feel lived in. Great work by all three. Alda is more understated, but wise, knowledgeable and funny. His timing is as superb as ever.

This movie belongs to Baumbach, Johansson and Driver, but you could argue that Dern, Alda and Liotta carry us through the middle of the story. As an aside to that point, many movies start and end strong while slogging through the middle (Act II, the body, what have you); so it's a testament to Marriage Story that Baumbach allows these colorful attorneys to give us some space from Nicole and Charlie, so we don't get bogged down or oversaturated by two particular characters.

Part 3: Marriage Story or The Irishman?

Relationships are fascinating to me. So many little idiosyncrasies and tiny details rolled into one, singular entity. So many compromises, or lack thereof. Marriage Story exists within those margins; Nicole and Charlie definitely admire one another and are both great parents, so what exactly is going on here?

Those questions many of us have contemplated are the areas in which Marriage Story shines. Sometimes its tone is a little all over the place - two screwball segments immediately come to mind, one of which lands in a major way - but Marriage Story's heart is in the right place.

Scar Jo is quite clearly a better and more well-rounded performer than Driver, but the latter remains interesting despite deficiencies. Sometimes he seems blank. Maybe that's Driver or the way he sees Charlie. Either way, it's an intriguing performance that can also seem aloof. At some points, Charlie is far too oblivious to the direction his divorce is headed. His naivety can be offensive because he's supposedly a pretty smart and talented guy. But hey, I nitpick.

Johansson is pretty special; it's interesting to chart her career. Lost in Translation introduced us to her in an understated capacity, but of course the film itself was an awards darling. Then, as she matured over the course of a few years, she stood on the shoulders of her sex symbol status; Vicky Cristina Barcelona and He's Just Not That Into You immediately pop to mind. But was that really her? Maybe she's always been a chameleon evolving with the times. Her was a great role for her, and we never see her face. Now, in Marriage Story, she seems a symbol of our time. Her look is completely different. She's an independent career woman suffocated by the shadow of an auteur ex-husband. Early on I wondered if she was a one-trick pony, but that wonder's long gone now. For the most part, Scarlett Johansson can be whomever she wants to be. That's as close to saying "she's a great actress" as I'm willing to go.

In the head to head, Marriage Story and The Irishman are dramatically different. Neither are plot-driven, but The Irishman follows a somewhat traditional mob story arc. Marriage Story, as you've probably come to realize by now, is character-driven and character-centric. I like the characters in both films. I like the performances in both films, too. We're really splitting hairs, here.

In the end, Marriage Story combines conflict, heartbreak and sudden bursts of humor. Here's perhaps my greatest compliment of the film: when the closing credits began to roll, I thought, that's too bad, I'd like to spend some more time with these characters.

Isn't that what it's all about?

** John Frascella's Score: 9 out of 10 **

MY UP-TO-DATE ARCHIVE OF ALL REVIEWS AND SCORES

(The Top 200 series will continue, but the list below includes ALL of my past reviews and scores.)

1. Inglourious Basterds (10/10) - Review Coming Soon
2. The Irishman (9.5/10)
3. Up in the Air (9.5/10)
4. Steve Jobs (9.5/10)
5. Django Unchained (9.5/10) - Review Coming Soon
6. Collateral (9.5/10)
7. No Country for Old Men (9.5/10)
8. The Wrestler (9.5/10)
9. The Drop (9.5/10)
10. Zodiac (9.5/10)
11. Kramer vs. Kramer (9.5/10)
12. Margin Call (9/10)
13. Office Space (9/10)
14. The Hateful Eight (9/10) - Review Coming Soon
15. Marriage Story (9/10)
16. Hannah and Her Sisters (9/10)
17. Mystic River (9/10)
18. L.A. Confidential (9/10)
19. Lady Bird (9/10)
20. Stay (9/10)
21. Gone Girl (9/10)
22. Nocturnal Animals (9/10)
23. 45 Years (9/10)
24. The Edge of Seventeen (9/10)
25. Bernie (9/10)
26. Lucky Number Slevin (9/10)
27. Tape (9/10)
28. A Perfect Murder (9/10)
29. Wanderlust (8.5/10)

30. War Dogs (8.5/10)
31. The Founder (8.5/10)
32. Jackie Brown (8.5/10) - Future Review
33. In Bruges (8.5/10)

34. Split (8.5/10)

35. Bad Moms (8.5/10)

36. Basquiat (8.5/10)
37. Love, Actually (8.5/10)

38. Moonlight (8/10)
39. Pretty Woman (8/10)
40. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (7.5/10) - No Review Available
41. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (7.5/10) - No Review Available
42. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (7.5/10)

43. The Revenant (7.5/10)
44. The Good Shepherd (7.5/10)

45. The Shallows (7.5/10)
46. Focus (7.5/10) 

47. The Night Before (7.5/10)
48. The Walk (7/10)

49. 10 Cloverfield Lane (7/10)
50. Loving (7/10) - No review available
51. Death Proof (7/10) - No review available
52. Hail, Caesar! (7/10) - No review available
53. Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood (6.5/10)
54. A Most Violent Year (6.5/10) - No review available
55. The Shape of Water (6/10) - discussed in this review
56. The Boy (6/10) - No review available
57. The Accountant (6/10) - No review available
58. Bridge of Spies (6/10) - No review available
59. The Firm (6/10) - No review available
60. Muhammad Ali: Say My Name (6/10) - No review available

61. Joy (5.5/10)
62. Taking Lives (5.5/10) - No review available

63. La La Land (5.5/10)
64. Pulp Fiction (5.5/10) - Future Review
65. The Visit (5/10) - discussed in this review
66. The Mule (5/10) - No review available
67. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (5/10)
68. Make Love Great Again (5/10) - No review available
69. Molly's Game (5/10)
70. Set It Up (5/10)
71. Get a Job (5/10) - No review available
72. The Interpreter (5/10) - No review available
73. Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars (5/10) - No review available
74. Reservoir Dogs (4.5/10) - Future Review
75. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (4.5/10) - No review available
76. Brooklyn (4.5/10) - discussed in this review, and this review
77. Ocean's 8 (4/10)
78. Everything Must Go (4/10) - No review available
79. Why Him? (3.5/10) - No review available
80. The Program (3/10)
81. Open Water 3: Cage Dive (3/10) - No review available
82. Pitch Perfect 3 (2/10)
83. Shut In (2/10) - No review available
84. Premonition (2/10) - No review available

85. Rings (1.5/10)
86. Mother's Day (1.5/10)
87. I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (0/10) - No review available

THE IRISHMAN: Scorsese's Sensational Swan Song

Photo Credit: IMDb

Recently, legendary director Martin Scorsese took heavy fire for proclaiming that Marvel movies are "not cinema." Now, Mr. Scorsese is 77 years old, but he isn't losing it in any way. He's no dummy. He's astutely aware of the current climate of public discourse, and you can be certain that he expected backlash from such a statement. And you can see some of Mr. Scorsese - defiant and unapologetic - in one of the lead characters of his instant classic, The Irishman; Al Pacino's Jimmy Hoffa seems to know where his mouth will take him, but he goes there anyway. He's been doing things his way for an awfully long time.

The Irishman opens along the same path - as Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) plots out an important road trip, he whips out a map and rattles off a multi-part route. Moments later, characters bicker over cigarette smoke. In an early flashback, two men do some old-fashioned work under the hood of an American car. Sure, we're entering the world of a period piece, but maps, cigarettes and handiwork are clear symbols of a time gone by. But was it a better time?

Sheeran is The Irishman's anti-hero, and one could argue that the central plot of the film is the charting of Sheeran's career - from steak truck driver, to mob errand boy, to hit man, to right-hand man for two extremely powerful men, Hoffa and mobster Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci, a revelation). But there's far more at play - The Irishman is a mob movie; the resolution of an infamous murder mystery; a story about family, selfishness, life itself and perhaps most evidently, Mr. Scorsese's allegorical look into the mirror of his own life and career. 

PART 1: The Honeymoon Phase

Early in The Irishman, it's pure joy to see De Niro and Pesci back together in a Scorsese film. How can we not be reminded of their classic duos in Raging Bull, Goodfellas and Casino? There's so much history there. The trio, including Scorsese, just feels right. And sure enough, Robbie Robertson's score plays right along, with cheery pop classics that bring smiles to our faces. The old gang's back together. This is great. 

And the references to those mob classics, and others, are abound. The back of a meat truck reminds us of Frankie Carbone's demise in Goodfellas; a baptism immediately evokes a pivotal moment in The Godfather; the dashboard of a car hearkens back to a memorable explosion in Casino and a list of things you need to "go to Russell for" mimics Paulie's "fuck you, pay me" list in Goodfellas. Scorsese hits all the key notes. Most of the references are welcome. 

And in the early going, we get exactly what we expect - gunshots, explosions and bloodshed. And with the cheery music in the background, it all seems kind of fun. Scorsese has that gift - he connects us with his anti-heroes. Often, we end up rooting for them. When Tommy gets whacked in Goodfellas, don't we feel kind of bad for him and Jimmy Conway, who kicks over a phone booth in simmering frustration and sadness?

Well, why? These are murderers. Thieves. Felons. How does Scorsese do it? He draws us into their worlds and makes us wanna hang with these gangsters. At the very least, we want to see what they'll do next. Alfred Hitchcock may have been the master of audience complicity, but Scorsese can't be far behind.

And he delivers again here, with Sheeran, who seems to have killed more people than he can even remember. Somehow, there are many moments in The Irishman where we end up feeling bad for Sheeran. Obviously that's also a testament to De Niro's complicated performance; but we'll get back to that later.

Also toward the end of the first hour, we're introduced to Hoffa, whom Pacino portrays with an all-knowing smile. Pacino sinks his teeth into the role, and although we may remember the real Hoffa as a powerful man with obvious mob ties, Pacino plays him with a softness. He fights for his men in the Teamsters Union. He loves his wife and spoils Sheeran's introverted daughter, Peggy (played by Lucy Gallina as a child and Anna Paquin as an adult). He doesn't seem as hardened as Sheeran, Bufalino, or other heavy-hitters like Angelo Bruno (Harvey Keitel), Skinny Razor (Bobby Cannavale), Tony Provenzano (Stephen Graham) or "Fat Tony" Salerno (Domenick Lombardozzi).

At least in Scorsese's version of the story, Hoffa's hands weren't as dirty as you'd think.

And we get more of the same types of payoffs, with Pacino and De Niro seeming warm and fuzzy together; a stark contrast to their "beef" days of The Godfather or Heat. Remember when it was such a big deal that Pacino and De Niro actually shared a scene together in Heat? That seems like a distant memory in The Irishman, where Pacino and De Niro come across as lifelong friends with clear admiration for one another.

So, for at least the first half of the film, we revel in the reunions of Pesci, De Niro and Pacino - Pesci and De Niro even enjoy an extended scene speaking Italian - as Scorsese moves the story along swiftly with economical scenes and strong narrative momentum. Credit also belongs to screenwriter Steven Zaillian (Schindler's List, Gangs of New York, Moneyball), one of the undisputed best in the biz.

That's one of the things that separates Scorsese films from so many others - we don't double-take at any of the dialogue. Sure, Scorsese doesn't write the films, but he picks the right supporting players and oversees with aplomb. The dialogue sounds right. The writing and narrative actions always seem true to the characters. I never actively think...oh, I'm just watching a movie right now. That scene took me out of the movie. No, instead I get wrapped up in the worlds Scorsese builds. It happens so fast. Right from the get-go, his worlds wash over you.

The first half of The Irishman is a grand ol' time.

PART II: Familiar Faces Move the Story Along

Through the middle section of The Irishman, you might catch yourself thinking, ohhhh, that guy! More than a few times. 

Graham played Al Capone in HBO's Boardwalk Empire, which Scorsese executive produced. (De Niro also played Capone in Brian De Palma's The Untouchables; De Palma and Scorsese rose the directorial ranks as friends.) In The Irishman, as "Tony Pro", Graham proves a worthy adversary to Pacino's Hoffa; the two enjoy a couple of explosive-but-funny scenes laced with insults and political maneuvering. 

J.C. MacKenzie returns as the lawyer Bobby Kennedy uses to take down Hoffa - you may remember him as Scorsese's "Grenada" attorney in Wolf of Wall Street; Stephanie Kurtzuba pops up again as Irene Sheeran, Frank's second wife (she was Kimmy the stock broker in Wolf); Cannavale was also one of the electric stars of Boardwalk Empire, as well as Scorsese's Vinyl; obviously, Keitel starred in Scorsese classics like Mean Streets and Taxi Driver; Bo Dietl played himself in Wolf - here he's gangster Joe Glimco; Vinny Vella was blabber mouth Artie Piscano in Casino and John Cenatiempo is again a victim of extreme violence, like he was in The Departed. 

I think this cast of characters is significant for two reasons: (1) The obvious one is, like any good director or leader, Scorsese gravitates toward people he can trust; those who have delivered for him in the past, but more importantly (2) These are the bread crumbs leading down the path to the end of an illustrious career defined by classic crime movies. These are the faces along the way. Scorsese brings them all back as reliable performers, yes; but also as symbols and markers of time gone by. 

In my title I referred to The Irishman as Scorsese's swan song - and let's be real, this legend clearly has more great work ahead of him - but this is a Scorsese film, the way Scorsese films will be remembered in history. This is a film filled with references to America's past, which in turn includes the past works of Scorsese's Hall of Fame career. 

This transition into self-reference gathers momentum in Act III. 

PART III: A Sad, Breathtaking Conclusion

Those of you who've read my reviews in the past know I'm not one for plot summary. Why would I want to give away all the goods? You should see this movie!

So, let's talk around things. Kind of like gangsters when they say, did you take care of the thing with the guy? (Another De Niro movie, Analyze This.)

At some point in Act III, the music stops. This is as deliberate as deliberate gets. The party's over. The fun and games of killin' people and runnin' rackets ain't so fun anymore. The Irishman gets personal. Personal between three main characters, and personal for Scorsese. We're seeing the arc of a film, arc of a career and arc of a life. 

Things get really heavy toward the end. You'll feel the weight of it all. 

As we inch toward the conclusion, De Niro's performance becomes trickier to evaluate. As both an actor and man, he seems to have gotten warmer over the years. There's a twinkle in his eyes. He softened his image with the Meet the Parents and Analyze This franchises, along with family man roles in Silver Linings Playbook, Last Vegas, The Intern, Joy and Everybody's Fine. I'm forced to wonder...is Robert De Niro the gangster gone for good?

Earlier I emphatically stated that I get lost in Scorsese's cinematic worlds - and I do again in The Irishman - but one question lingers...why do I feel bad for Frank Sheeran in the end? Is it because I never bought De Niro as a guy who could have killed dozens of unsuspecting people in cold blood? That question alone makes it a weaker performance than both Pesci's and Pacino's. 

Pacino's good. He grandstands as usual, but this is a memorable performance. It's good to see him go out with a smile on his face. This might be the best part he gets for the rest of his unforgettable career. 

For me, Pesci is the star of the show. This is a truly mesmerizing performance, from start to finish. Pesci has command of the Russell Bufalino character. He seems to have command of his own life, too. He's the wisest man of the bunch. It comes through in both Russell the character and Joe the man. This is a Godfather-type performance. Pesci is all-knowing, all-seeing. He speaks softly and rarely makes a wrong move. He has sharp instincts for people, personalities and business. Everyone in the film accepts Russell's word as gospel. He's a natural-born leader of men. This is probably the most well-rounded performance of Pesci's career; particularly near the climax, when he ambushes another character with devastating news. Just...perfect. 

In the end, The Irishman has it all - perfect pacing for a three-and-a-half hour movie; interesting characters and ripped-from-the-headlines material; strong performances; world-class direction; blood, blasts and laughs, and perhaps most importantly, poignant musings on life itself. The Irishman is very reflective in its final 45 minutes. Just sit back and take it in. We're all headed down the same path. 

** John Frascella's Score: 9.5 out of 10 **

EDITOR'S NOTE: I took 4 pages of handwritten notes during this film. I've never done that before. In a future post, I will publish those notes, including observations about De Niro and Pacino's acting, Scorsese's specific directorial choices, mise en scene, John F. Kennedy Jr. and more.

MY UP-TO-DATE ARCHIVE OF ALL REVIEWS AND SCORES

(The Top 200 series will continue, but the list below includes ALL of my past reviews and scores.)

1. Inglourious Basterds (10/10) - Review Coming Soon
2. The Irishman (9.5/10)
3. Up in the Air (9.5/10)
4. Steve Jobs (9.5/10)
5. Django Unchained (9.5/10) - Review Coming Soon
6. Collateral (9.5/10)
7. No Country for Old Men (9.5/10)
8. The Wrestler (9.5/10)
9. The Drop (9.5/10)
10. Zodiac (9.5/10)
11. Kramer vs. Kramer (9.5/10)
12. Margin Call (9/10)
13. Office Space (9/10)
14. The Hateful Eight (9/10) - Review Coming Soon
15. Hannah and Her Sisters (9/10)
16. Mystic River (9/10)
17. L.A. Confidential (9/10)
18. Lady Bird (9/10)
19. Stay (9/10)
20. Gone Girl (9/10)
21. Nocturnal Animals (9/10)
22. 45 Years (9/10)
23. The Edge of Seventeen (9/10)
24. Bernie (9/10)
25. Lucky Number Slevin (9/10)
26. Tape (9/10)
27. A Perfect Murder (9/10)
28. Wanderlust (8.5/10)

29. War Dogs (8.5/10)
30. The Founder (8.5/10)
31. Jackie Brown (8.5/10) - Future Review
32. In Bruges (8.5/10)

33. Split (8.5/10)

34. Bad Moms (8.5/10)

35. Basquiat (8.5/10)
36. Love, Actually (8.5/10)

37. Moonlight (8/10)
38. Pretty Woman (8/10)
39. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (7.5/10) - No Review Available
40. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (7.5/10) - No Review Available
41. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (7.5/10)

42. The Revenant (7.5/10)
43. The Good Shepherd (7.5/10)

44. The Shallows (7.5/10)
45. Focus (7.5/10) 

46. The Night Before (7.5/10)
47. The Walk (7/10)

48. 10 Cloverfield Lane (7/10)
49. Loving (7/10) - No review available
50. Death Proof (7/10) - No review available
51. Hail, Caesar! (7/10) - No review available
52. Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood (6.5/10)
53. A Most Violent Year (6.5/10) - No review available
54. The Shape of Water (6/10) - discussed in this review
55. The Boy (6/10) - No review available
56. The Accountant (6/10) - No review available
57. Bridge of Spies (6/10) - No review available
58. The Firm (6/10) - No review available
59. Muhammad Ali: Say My Name (6/10) - No review available

60. Joy (5.5/10)
61. Taking Lives (5.5/10) - No review available

62. La La Land (5.5/10)
63. Pulp Fiction (5.5/10) - Future Review
64. The Visit (5/10) - discussed in this review
65. The Mule (5/10) - No review available
66. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (5/10)
67. Make Love Great Again (5/10) - No review available
68. Molly's Game (5/10)
69. Set It Up (5/10)
70. Get a Job (5/10) - No review available
71. The Interpreter (5/10) - No review available
72. Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars (5/10) - No review available
73. Reservoir Dogs (4.5/10) - Future Review
74. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (4.5/10) - No review available
75. Brooklyn (4.5/10) - discussed in this review, and this review
76. Ocean's 8 (4/10)
77. Everything Must Go (4/10) - No review available
78. Why Him? (3.5/10) - No review available
79. The Program (3/10)
80. Open Water 3: Cage Dive (3/10) - No review available
81. Pitch Perfect 3 (2/10)
82. Shut In (2/10) - No review available
83. Premonition (2/10) - No review available

84. Rings (1.5/10)
85. Mother's Day (1.5/10)
86. I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (0/10) - No review available