Why am I watching a movie about a marriage falling apart?
Why am I subjecting myself to this much pain?
Well because Adam Driver is in it duh!
Okay... Ya, I’m admitting it. I watched this only for the hot guy on the poster. I need to see him alive somewhere. I need to see him living life. Did I need to see him as a broken down father with his life falling apart…? Not really.
I may have been sucked in for the wrong reasons, but I ultimately stayed for the movie.
I’m still shocked at the skill produced by Noah Baumbach. Baumbach has a long list of credentials behind him, including The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Margot at the Wedding - I’ve added a few more titles to my watch list now. If I needed more proof that I can become a writer and director, here it is. For most of Bauchman’s movies, he’s played both roles.
But what is this skill that I’m gushing over?
It’s his skill to take something as real life and common as divorce and bring in all the pain without over dramatising the story.
Reason 1… I was really worried that either Charlie or Nicole would be painted as the overall villain. But really, I thought Charlie was going to be the one with the devil’s mark on him. Thank god I was wrong. There was a moment near the beginning where Nicole tells her side of things, but stick around long enough and you’ll see that it’s really the system that’s the bad guy. Did Charlie and Nicole not communicate enough? Did they do their own share of wrongs? Should they have not gotten married in the first place? Yes to all of the above. But that does not mean that they didn’t love each other.
Reason 2… The fight. You’ll know it when you see it. If you’ve been searching for Reylo on social media, a lot of the scene will seem familiar. You’ll even know one of the most emotionally charged moments. And just how emotional those still feel, the actual seen is a lot worse. Driver and Johansson should have won every possible award for their acting, but don’t forget the main behind the camera telling them how to play it out. Nothing is over dramatised. That fight is real in every way possible. From the dialogue to the overall breakdown after, I had chills. Some of it hit too close to home.
Reason 3… Showing that a divorce doesn’t mean you stop loving each other is pivotal. The last scene, man… I’m still processing what it means.
So what am I trying to say? I don’t know. I’m getting lost in the emotions of the movie again.
*types as a tear slides down her cheek*
Fine I’m being overly dramatic.
Should the movie have done better at the Golden Globes? One hundred percent. 1917 deserved its win, but the two movies where like comparing apples to oranges. What one had in technical strength, the other had in acting and story. This is the talent and ability to portray emotions that has me switching from writing books to screenplays. There are things that you can do on screen that you can’t pull off in a book.
So if you need a good cry as the snow gently falls outside your window, here is the movie for you.
Happy Watching
Love Kait