Time before year end for an Adam Driver double bill, released in quick succession at the cinemas, and now both almost immediately, available to view at home. Both are good examples of mid-budget American films that struggle to get financial backing without the intervention of Netflix or one of its ilk these days.
‘Marriage Story’ finds Driver as a New York based avant garde theatre director, Charlie. His marriage to his lead actress Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) is coming to an end and she wants to move back to LA where her family are. Charlie’s career is in New York and he wants to remain there, but he also wants to have joint custody of their young son. What starts out as seemingly an amicable break up becomes acrimonious once lawyers get involved.
There is no way that you can call this an easy watch. As things fall apart, there are some pretty unpleasant scenes, especially one involving a blazing row between the pair. It is, though, perceptively written and features pretty faultless performances. Not only from the two leads, but also by Laura Dern, Ray Liotta and especially the wonderful Alan Alda as the three lawyers involved. All my favourite scenes involved Alda, as he gives his common sense, though quite bumbled advice.
It is interesting how both Charlie and Nicole keep claiming that they want what is best for their son, but ultimately, they actually want what is best for themselves. Your sympathy will probably switch sides many times throughout this well-crafted film from the always interesting Noah Bambach.
‘Marriage Story’ is available on Netflix.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Driver’s other offering, ‘The Report’, can be found on Amazon Prime. A young and ambitious US Senate staffer, Daniel Jones (Adam Driver) is charged with heading-up an investigation into the CIA’s detention and interrogation of terrorists after 9/11. Were they being honest about the methods they used and did they amount to torture?
To be honest, there isn’t any jeopardy involved in the what the outcome of his report will be. It is obvious from the start where the sympathies of writer/director Scott Z. Burns lie. However, that doesn’t matter, as Burns has created a brilliantly informative screenplay.
The complex narrative is delivered in a way that is both comprehensible, and, despite it involving a lot of pouring over documents and explaining their contents, a thoroughly gripping way.
Driver gives another great performance as the driven and impassioned Jones. Annette Bening is excellent as Dianne Feinstein and, the rest of the casting, even down to the smallest of roles, is spot on.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10