Welcome to another edition of the “The Valero Verdict” movie review. In this I will give you a quick movie review with a couple of bullet points of which I either liked or disliked. I will end the review with rating of the movie and a short overall thoughts.

On the docket today, Noah Baumbach written and directed film based on his own story, Marriage Story.

Plot: Noah Baumbach’s incisive and compassionate look at a marriage breaking up and a family staying together.

Directing/Writing: Noah Baumbach



We got a deep look into the story behind Baumbach divorce and the downfall of it.



I loved the way this film didn’t make you take sides at all, he made it fair for all parties but told you a troubling story of our justice system and how it is meant to tear down families through divorce instead of try and help them.



The emotional roller coaster ride that Baumbach took us on was a thing of beauty. We had moments in which you laughed, ones of which that ripped your heart out and others in which broke you down into tears.

Acting: Scarlett Johansson – Adam Driver – Laura Dern



Johansson and Driver was a match made in heaven. The casting all the way around was amazing as this was one of the best complete cast of the year.



Driver as Charlie was one of the most well written characters you will ever see in movies. There were several scenes in which I was in awe of the acting ability of Driver, he showed such a wide range of emotions in which you saw him elevate himself as each act progressed. I was impressed with his ability to peel back several different layers of Charlie as his story was revealed.



Johansson as Nicole. I had heard that Johansson wasn’t as featured as Driver in this film from several people and they couldn’t have been more wrong. She was a force of nature, her character might not have been as in-depth as Driver’s but she played a fun loving care-free woman battling the idea of the not wanting to be trapped in a marriage in which she was not happy in.



One scene in particular between this two I will label as the “Fight” was one of the best scenes you will see between two powerhouse actors in a movie. It was filled with raw emotion, with hate, anger and frustration and it shows you a real look into the minds of individuals that suffer from not being able to control the words they say in moments of anger.



It has been well talked about how weak the Supporting actress field is for the Award season, so it was a breathe of fresh air watching Laura Dern kill in this movie. Unless something changes in the next two months, she will be walking away with many awards this season and deservedly so.

Score: Randy Newman – I liked the score, I wasn’t enamored by it. It didn’t take anything away from the film but not sure it really added anything to it either.

Cinematography: This was a very contemporary film. The color palette was straight forward and the range from NY to Cali was different but was noticeable.

The Verdict:

***** out of ***** gavels

We all love the idea of two people falling in love and we love watching it on the big screen but the idea of two people falling out of love in a violent and brutal way is not an easy watch but it’s reality.



This was the most complete film of the year. It was truly one of those movies that worked on every aspect and was a beautiful piece of art that will be cherished for years to come.



Every person a part of this film brought their A game, Baumbach had a message he wanted to get across and was able to in every way he wanted to with a strong team.



Award season will be really good to this film.

Should You See It?: Absolutely. If you can see this in theaters before it drops on Netflix, I would do it. This movie will tear your heart out and that is perfectly fine.

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