I saw this earlier this week and forgot to give my thoughts, if that tells you anything. It's actually really good, but not quite the achievement many critics are claiming it to be, IMO. It's just a little too much in the acting department, to the point where it almost feels unnatural and forced at times. Driver and Johansson will no doubt both be nominated, and Driver may very well win for his role, but it's very much a "Hey, look at these people ACT!" kind of thing as opposed to just letting the audience get so caught up in the story and performances that we forget we're watching actors in the first place, if that makes sense.

I will say, this was the first movie I can remember that focusses on the nuts and bolts process of divorce - not just the effects of the divorce - and for that reason alone it stands out. It's enlightening and frustrating in that regard, and somewhat gut wrenching at times, but also not quite as deep and affecting as I expected it to be, either. There's just something slightly off about it that's hard to put my finger on.

That said, In addition to the acting noms, it'll definitely be nominated for Best Picture, along with probably a few other nominations. So it's not like it isn't worth seeing. It absolutely it is. It's just that this thing was SO hyped during the festival circuit that I couldn't help but be a little disappointed with the end result. I have a feeling if I were to watch it again I'd appreciate it a bit more, but I really have no desire to give it another shot.

It hit theaters in limited release last week, comes to Netflix on December 6, and I'll definitely be interested to see what everyone else thinks...

I hear you, and completely understand. It's a little different, though, because the marriage has essentially already fallen apart when the movie begins. So it's not like you're watching the slow train wreck of a relationship crumble. It's more about the literal process of divorcing once that decision has been made, though one person is definitely more hesitant than the other. But yes, it's depressing, just not quite as depressing as it could be, is what I'm saying. I think it'll help that this will be on Netflix, too. Those in the same boat can give it a shot but easily bail if it gets to be too much. Also know that it isn't one of those movies with a brutal, depressing ending or anything like that. It's fairly hopeful, all things considered.

I'm slightly confused by the fact that Scarlett Johanson has been famous for what seems like 20 years while Adam Driver is newer to the scene. Also ScarJo is super hot. What an odd couple.

But why would the length of time each has been a celebrity matter for something like this? Driver is 35 and Johansson is 34, and Driver has not only proven to be a great actor over the years, but out of the two of them, he's the one who has the best chance at winning Best Actor this year.

Think he can beat Phoenix?

I don't even think Phoenix is the front-runner anymore. A lot people are saying it's Adam Sandler for Uncut Gems as of now. Then Driver. Then Phoenix. I think they all have basically an equal shot at this point, though.

Gold derby seems to think so.

And I tend to agree because box office gets hard to ignore at that point. Much of the reason Malek got it, too.

I've found that the odds sites are far less reliable for Oscars than they are for sports. I'm not saying Phoenix won't win. I'm just saying that as of now, critics and voters are talking more about Driver/Sandler than they are about Phoenix. It also helps that Driver has The Report this weekend and The Rise of Skywalker in December. He's going to be more fresh on voter's minds, as will Sandler, with Uncut Gems hitting in mid-December as well. The heat feels like it's fading a bit on Phoenix only because that movie/performance was early October, which already feels like an eternity ago.

Eh, I don't think that's quite the narrative. He's worked with many of the biggest directors in the business, and those who haven't yet worked with him are clamoring to do so. The guy is incredibly high demand and has quite the cinematic resume over the past eight years...

2011 - Clint Eastwood (J. Edgar)
2012 - Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha)
2012 - Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)
2013 - The Coen Brothers (Inside Llewyn Davis)
2014 - Noah Baumbach (While We're Young)
2015 - J.J. Abrams (The Force Awakens)
2016 - Jeff Nichols (Midnight Special)
2016 - Jim Jarmusch (Paterson)
2016 - Martin Scorsese (Silence)
2017 - Steven Soderbergh (Logan Lucky)
2017 - Rian Johnson (The Last Jedi)
2018 - BlackKklansman (Spike Lee)
2019 - Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story)
2019 - J.J. Abrams (The Rise of Skywalker)

... plus a ton of others. I don't see him as a "dork" by any means. Untraditional? Sure. But he can absolutely pull off leading man when he needs to.

How did I miss this??? I even looked (on only the first page, admittedly) - but then Google searched - and was disappointed that I *didn't* see a thread/review from you already, since I knew you had seen it before me. I've literally been waiting for your reaction. Apologies! That said, I'm obviously not quite as high on it as you, but I'm glad you dug it.

Now I feel like I need to watch it a second time when it hits Netflix. But again, I thought it was really, really good, and I absolutely appreciated how well it depicted the frustrations - both legally and emotionally - of the actual process of going through a divorce, like I've never seen before. There was just something about the acting that bugged me a tiny bit. I couldn't stand Johansson's mother - I thought Julie Hagarty was either miscast or too over the top - and while I usually love long, single takes, or riveting arguments, those things took me out of the movie here. I wasn't thinking, "Man, what an emotional scene," I was thinking, "Wow, how did Scarlett Johansson memorize all this?" followed by, "Yeah, this feels a little too memorized." But I think if I gave it another shot I could get past that kind of stuff (save for Johansson's mom).

I love ScarJo and have really warmed up to Driver. But I can't see this film.

Too much in love with my wife of 20 years. Too much in love with our sons. I just couldn't handle it.

This just looks like Cold Mountain to me. And I loved that movie but will never watch it again.

Wait, did you see it Monday night? Not on Saturday? Your post says the 11th. If so, I saw it on the 11th as well... at The Landmark. I went to the 4:20 PM showing, not the 7-whatever one, though. Either way, we had to have been there at the same time...

Scratch that. You were posting late Sunday night after the date had changed...

double aught said:

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I'm sure it's great, and I might even like it if I saw it. But a marriage falling apart is maybe the last topic I would choose to watch a movie about. Such a depressing, uncomfortable subject.

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The one movie I think of that I absolutely refused to see at the time was called "Dad". Three generations of males in a family, and the dad was freaking dieing. I knew that at some point I was going to live through that, so yep, not seeing a movie about it. And having personally experienced divorce through my parents and having to live with the after-effects of that since 3rd grade, no interest in seeing any movie where that is the focus of the movie.

I KNEW there was an earlier thread.

Does this have a similar feel to "Blue Valentine"?

That's a great quote. And yeah, the only thing I found "depressing" about the movie was the insane amounts of money wasted and the hoops one has to jump through when actually filing for divorce. More than anything, you're mad that this is the process. There are of course a couple of big, brutal, emotional scenes, but overall it's not really that somber or dreary. It's not that type of movie. There are plenty of laughs and yeah, again, it's more hopeful and optimistic by the end that anything.

Fantastic punchline.

I will say for Ulrich, I was not personally aware of Driver before seeing him in Girls. He stood out so clearly in that role on that show, it is not surprising at all to see him in all these great movies since. It's bizarre how much better he was than everyone else on the show.

Those of y'all that haven't heard of Adam Driver until Girls or Star Wars need to go back and watch Frances Ha. Y'all are missing out.

Love that movie. One of my favorites of the last few years.

For those who care, this is officially on Netflix as of two minutes ago...

https://www.netflix.com/title/80223779

(And no, I wasn't waiting around to post this, I just happen to be going through my saved threads a saw this one just now).