Somehow, and I really don’t know why, I never watched Noah Baumbach’s Marraige Story upon release.Not only does the film have audio description, and it’s not very old, but it is a Netflix original. What the hell have I been doing with my life?

So, in opening up my Oscar Shame period, I admit that I needed to right this wrong, and I’ve now seen this. It is amazing. Stunning. The cast is exceptional. I would hand out nominations right on down the line. Best Picture, Director, Actor (Adam Driver), Actress (Scarlett Johansson), and if we are giving a nod to Laura Dern who won for Supporting Actress then lets give a much earned nomination to Ray Liotta as well, for being her jousting partner. Of course, screenplay. Editing? Done. That’s an easy 8 nominations.

I instantly fell in love with this film that dissects the ideal divorce, as if that is a real thing. Divorce is always somewhat messy, and that is what Noah Baumbach explores here with an incredible lightness in the screenplay. Some films play one side against another, or make one side the bad guy, but Baumbach explores the idea of a no winners and no losers divorce, with a couple thinking they could just get it done simply. Things become complicated because they have a son. Mom wants to live on the West Coast with her family, and her new job, while Dad is New York anchored, as a prominent theatre director.

In addition to those already mentioned, the supporting cast is quite stacked with appearances by Merrit Weaver, Alan Alda, and even Wallace Shawn. The audio description does do an attempt at a perfect balance, but Baumbach’s script is dialogue heavy, which often means that because a conversation can start in one place, it may finish somewhere else, and you didn’t get the room change, or someone leaving or exiting, because the dialogue remains in constant banter mode.

I fell instantly in love with this, and one of the best things I’ve experienced in my shame period. I truly feel that this would have been in my top 10 for its year. I’m typically a fan of Baumbach, aside from White Noise, and this did not disappoint.

Final Grade: A