It is appropriate to close the year with a take on one of the best movies I've watched this year.
'Marriage Story' is the story of two people - Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) - going through some tough times as their relationship evolves from one to other. It is painful to watch, meaningful to understand and beautiful to relate to.
Reverdy says 'There is no such thing as love. There are only proofs of love'. Of course, there is no such thing as love - what is left is the attention, affection and the little proofs of love that litter our daily lives. These can be as little as a 'How are you?' to an act of help in the kitchen or any thing in which two individuals show they actually like each other.
Why these proofs are needed? Because that is the only way love can be understood. There is no such thing as inherent understanding of love - it has to be expressed to be felt. Do you express it after 15 years or 30 years? Yes, you still have to if there is any love left.
Now, the movie starts with a little expression of what Charlie and Nicole think about each other. Two perspectives of all sweetness about their partner - until we find out that they are writing it for their marriage mediator and as they take their first step towards a divorce.
Charlie is a successful theater director and Nicole is the lead actress in his productions. Seemingly, they have a successful career and a happy life. However, Nicole feels choked by Charlie's focus on Broadway and wants to explore on her own the artistic limits of what she can do.
That brings to us the most important part of a marriage (or love) - space. The concept of space in a marriage is important as it gives each other the space to move, express their feelings (without worrying about causing to offend) and be mad at times towards each other. The space is also important if one doesn't want to feel smothered in a marriage. It is important because as you identify this space and assert your presence in it, the marriage (or love) strengthens - there is no need to play act to satisfy the other.
Nicole's concept of her artistic limits being barred by Charlie's ego comes out after being smothered in the marriage for 10 years. Charlie - on the other hand- does not recognize that his focus on priorities leaves out Nicole all the time. He realizes it later in the courtroom when Nicole's lawyer, Nora frames - what seems to be a happy marriage - in terms of the way it smothered Nicole and how Charlie's self serving focus restricted her creative ability.
There is no such thing as right or wrong - the right is when Nicole recognized this lack of space for her in the marriage and takes the only way that exists for her - divorce. She has no personal animosity - expresses he admiration of Charlie's genius multiple times - is amicable to him till the end and as their relationship evolves - she picks up the pieces of her love for him and move on.
Charlie - as he is - is an excellent human otherwise and tries hard to understand what was going on with Nicole without bothering to figuring out why she is doing what she is doing. He does that eventually and accepts it.
There is one scene late into the movie - when Charlie and Nicole meet in his apartment and try to talk things over. It is at this point, Charlie realizes how Nicole feels about him and the marriage and finally comes to terms with it a little.
Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern) - Nicole's lawyer - plays an excellent part - focusing on how the society views the 'mother' as she is getting a divorce and why being polite about a divorce will backfire ("The system rewards bad behavior"). To me, Alan Alda as Charlie's first lawyer is a surprise. I like him and to see him thus old but without lacking any of the wit is interesting.
The movie is completely driven by conversation and there is not a lot of characters but everyone who is present is felt. The dry humor runs all along the movie and there are profoundly sad scenes without exacting the sentimental price from the viewer. These scenes are laced with a little wit and the frames move.
For all that human drama, the movie is not exactly a tragedy. It focuses on how relationships evolve and what causes them to break apart and then move into different stages. And it does that beautifully.
There are a lot of lessons to learn for the Indian viewer but I am sure he is sure to miss all of that and worry about how the lady lawyer exacts harsh terms and why Charlie is correct etc. So the less said about it, the better it is for my mental health.
Overall, I am happy that I watched two very good movies in as many months (the other one is here) and more happy that the year is finally ending.
'Marriage Story' is the story of two people - Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) - going through some tough times as their relationship evolves from one to other. It is painful to watch, meaningful to understand and beautiful to relate to.
Reverdy says 'There is no such thing as love. There are only proofs of love'. Of course, there is no such thing as love - what is left is the attention, affection and the little proofs of love that litter our daily lives. These can be as little as a 'How are you?' to an act of help in the kitchen or any thing in which two individuals show they actually like each other.
Why these proofs are needed? Because that is the only way love can be understood. There is no such thing as inherent understanding of love - it has to be expressed to be felt. Do you express it after 15 years or 30 years? Yes, you still have to if there is any love left.
Now, the movie starts with a little expression of what Charlie and Nicole think about each other. Two perspectives of all sweetness about their partner - until we find out that they are writing it for their marriage mediator and as they take their first step towards a divorce.
Charlie is a successful theater director and Nicole is the lead actress in his productions. Seemingly, they have a successful career and a happy life. However, Nicole feels choked by Charlie's focus on Broadway and wants to explore on her own the artistic limits of what she can do.
That brings to us the most important part of a marriage (or love) - space. The concept of space in a marriage is important as it gives each other the space to move, express their feelings (without worrying about causing to offend) and be mad at times towards each other. The space is also important if one doesn't want to feel smothered in a marriage. It is important because as you identify this space and assert your presence in it, the marriage (or love) strengthens - there is no need to play act to satisfy the other.
Nicole's concept of her artistic limits being barred by Charlie's ego comes out after being smothered in the marriage for 10 years. Charlie - on the other hand- does not recognize that his focus on priorities leaves out Nicole all the time. He realizes it later in the courtroom when Nicole's lawyer, Nora frames - what seems to be a happy marriage - in terms of the way it smothered Nicole and how Charlie's self serving focus restricted her creative ability.
There is no such thing as right or wrong - the right is when Nicole recognized this lack of space for her in the marriage and takes the only way that exists for her - divorce. She has no personal animosity - expresses he admiration of Charlie's genius multiple times - is amicable to him till the end and as their relationship evolves - she picks up the pieces of her love for him and move on.
Charlie - as he is - is an excellent human otherwise and tries hard to understand what was going on with Nicole without bothering to figuring out why she is doing what she is doing. He does that eventually and accepts it.
There is one scene late into the movie - when Charlie and Nicole meet in his apartment and try to talk things over. It is at this point, Charlie realizes how Nicole feels about him and the marriage and finally comes to terms with it a little.
Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern) - Nicole's lawyer - plays an excellent part - focusing on how the society views the 'mother' as she is getting a divorce and why being polite about a divorce will backfire ("The system rewards bad behavior"). To me, Alan Alda as Charlie's first lawyer is a surprise. I like him and to see him thus old but without lacking any of the wit is interesting.
The movie is completely driven by conversation and there is not a lot of characters but everyone who is present is felt. The dry humor runs all along the movie and there are profoundly sad scenes without exacting the sentimental price from the viewer. These scenes are laced with a little wit and the frames move.
There are a lot of lessons to learn for the Indian viewer but I am sure he is sure to miss all of that and worry about how the lady lawyer exacts harsh terms and why Charlie is correct etc. So the less said about it, the better it is for my mental health.
Overall, I am happy that I watched two very good movies in as many months (the other one is here) and more happy that the year is finally ending.
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