'Til Life Do Us Part.
136 Mins. Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty, Merritt Wever, Azhy Robertson & Alan Alda. Director: Noah Baumbach.
Do you Adam Driver take Scarlett Johansson to be your lawful wedded wife? To have and to hold. In sickness and in health. As on earth as it is in heaven. To boldly go where no man has gon...wait! Ah crap that's not right. I always get my vows mixed up. That's even the wrong 'Star' for Kylo Ren. Yet you best believe that this Oscar favourite is even bigger than the blockbuster 'Wars' of a trilogy conclusion decades in the making this Christmas. Let's try this again. Do you Adam Driver take Scarlett Johansson to be your wedded wife? To have and to hold. To make people feel comfortable even about embarrassing things. From this day forward. To really listen when someone is talking. For better, for worse. To always inexplicably brew a cup of tea that you don't drink. For richer, for poorer. Even if its not easy to pick up a sock, close a cabinet, or do a dish, she tries for you. In sickness and health. In saying you can play any part (in a way she actually can...as long as it's her own race and in good taste), even if it's for Woody (but she's walked all that back). 'Til death do you part. She's your favourite actress. From her teenage, Tokyo 'Lost In Translation' breakout beginnings, holding her neon own alongside Bill Murray for a Coppola, to every 'Her' reply from Spike Jonze audible in reply. And with her greatest since then this Avenger really is a Marvel. What more could you expect from someone who can still play 'Black Widow' in a movie when she threw that character she made iconic off a cliff to 'Infinity War' and beyond in what should have been her 'Endgame'. Despite the shade, Scarlett is one of the greatest actors around with a filmography more formidable than the M.C.U.'s comic canon. But 'Under The Skin' this is real life. And it doesn't come much more genuine than Johansson's emotionally engaging performance, evoking all the acting senses. Put this next to her prolific performance in Taika Waititi's 'JoJo Rabbit' and ScarJo may just pull the Oscar double out the hat.
Do you Scarlett Johansson take Kylo Re...I mean Adam Driver to be your lawful wedded husband. To have and to hold. Through being undaunted. From not letting anyone's opinions or setbacks keep you from doing what you want to do. From this day forward. Through eating like you're trying to get it over with and there won't be enough for everyone. Through sandwiches being strangled and then devoured. For better, or worse. In being incredibly neat and keeping everything in order. Through being energy conscious and crying easily in movies (I wonder if you cried the same four times here too). For richer, or poorer. In loving being a dad and all the things you're supposed to hate. The tantrums. The waking up at night. In sickness and in health. In telling people they have food in their teeth or on their face in a way that doesn't make them feel bad. 'Til death do you part. Even if he is a sith lord. He still shows resistance to the dark side of a marriage in its force choking depression. But right now breaking the mask he's about to burn it all to the ground like the Broadway incendiary 'Burn This' erotic romance with Keri Russell. As the 'Paterson' performer shows just the emotional and indelible depths of his passion that is his talent and vice versa. Driver is the driving force just like he is to his own 'Inside Llewellyn Davis', 'Midnight Special' and 'BlackKklansman' rolling, roll call resume. And speaking off Broadway how about the song he adds to this dance? We've never seen him like this. We've never seen him this to the letter emotional. This dry wall angry. This better.
Trumpet 'Marriage Story' as matrimony to not only the Academy, but 'The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Old)' (also Netflix) and 'Greenberg', 'Frances Ha' (also with Adam) director Noah Baumbach's best and brightest despite the darkness of divorce offset by some Hollywood piano from Randy Newman, scoring hurt aswell as tinkling that 'Toy Story', "friend in me" ivory. His signature style (the genius dual opening is outstanding) brings an offbeat outstanding feel to this indie New York to California picture as L.A. and N.Y.C. battle and play gentle tug of war with the rag doll arms of their son (introducing an inspired Azhy Robertson people) like an East Coast/West Coast rap beef. The distance between them on an N.Y.C. subway is borough bow long. This is 'Kramer vs Kramer' for the 'Blue Valentine' bruised generation throwing out the Gosling 'Notebook'. This is funny, but only in an awkward enthusiasm curbed way. Like when he Driver gets served like a pie in the face sort of way (from Netflix's own heaven sent 'Godless' miniseries scene stealer Merritt Wever), 'till when he's bleeding on the kitchen floor after a hilarious, but more heartbreaking awkward situation with a knife and a counsellor coming to check he's got his house in order which leaves blood on the door like it came from the shirt of a serial killer...and that's exactly what Driver does in this scene...kill it. Heeere's Johnny! Overall it's f###### devastating in its heartbreak. It's not break-up ballad because a song would be too sweet. Too saccharine. Because when this story does tie all the knots together of this undoing like a lace (and not a big beautiful bow this Christmas) it makes you earn every emotion. One that crooked frame, picture perfect portrait shows you sometimes the one thing that gets in the way of love...is marriage. Bittersweet poetry. Yet this is absolute art from the streaming service alongside the CGI of Scorsese's 'Irishman' of the big-three of Dr Niro, Pacino and Pesci, now that 'Roma' finally took the black and white Oscar back to honouring classics, no matter the medium in this new living room Hollywood that's entered the Academy arena. So much so legends like Laura Dern, Julie Hagerty, Alan Alda and Ray Liotta (the one 'Goodfella' who didn't become an 'Irishman', but still got a Netflix deal) are wedded with this bliss at their iconic best. This story of these two theatre types setting this stage perfectly with all the players for something that could once join Adam's 'Burn This' on Broadway is the spotlight of the fall favourites in definitive drama for Academy acclaim. To have and to hold an Oscar that no Scarlett letter could divorce from. This I vow like a ring to the finger. I now pronounce Driver and Johansson, Best Actor and Actress. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Kramer vs Kramer', 'Lost In Translation', 'Burn This (Broadway)'.
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