"Marriage Story,"
written and directed by Noah Baumbach
(R, 2 hours, 17 minutes)
Noah Baumbach's "Marriage Story" is a genuinely funny and ultimately moving case study of the uncoupling of two intelligent, artistic members of the cultural elite that contrasts New York with Los Angeles, theater with TV, and rigorous artistic investigation with the lure of celebrity.
It concerns the relationship between New York-based avant-garde stage director Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) an L.A. actress who gave up her mainstream career for him and his strange little plays. Two people can get all tangled up in each other, and if one means to maintain a separate self, sometimes the only solution is to cut one's way out. That will be messy. When sharp tools are employed, there will be blood.
By Nicole's lights, he has subsumed her. She wants something for herself, so she runs off to Los Angeles to shelter in her mother's (a wonderfully ditzy Julie Hagerty) house and film a TV pilot.
Though Charlie and Nicole agree their divorce ought to be amicable, his assumption was always that she'd stay in New York. But once she has escaped Charlie's gravitational pull, Nicole wants something different. She hires Nora Fanshaw (a fabulous Laura Dern), a predatory lawyer who walks her through the conventions of the divorce-industrial complex.arotta
Soon Charlie is looking for an L.A.-based lawyer of his own (not easy, since Nicole has already taken meetings with 17 of the top attorneys in the area, rendering them unable to take Charlie's case). When he finally winds up with amiable Bert Spitz (Alan Alda), he's advised to move out of his hotel and get a local apartment.
But Charlie still has a lot of things to attend to in New York. The legal battle escalates. So Charlie replaces avuncular Bert with $950-an-hour Jay Marotta (Ray Liotta) in preparation of scorching some earth of his own.
The takeaway is that they seem like nice people. Moment to moment, the film changes from wistful to melancholic, from laugh-out-loud funny to dark and even, in the midst of a highly realistic fight between Nicole and Charlie, terrifying. See it with someone you love, but try to keep your eyes straight ahead.
"The Room," (Unrated, 1 hour, 40 minutes) Not to be confused with the Tommy Wiseau cult catastrophe from 2003, this "The Room" is a Belgian horror film that stars Olga Kurylenko and Kevin Janssens as Kate and Matt, a couple who have just moved into a rambling old house in rural Massachusetts. While clearing out old furniture, Matt discovers a hidden room, that seems to grant wishes.
So we are reminded to be careful what we wish for, right? A well-executed twist on the Faustian story, "The Room" is a few cuts above generic horror fare. Too bad about the title. With Joshua Wilson; directed by Christian Volckman.
"Scoob!" (PG, 1 hour, 33 minutes) A brightly colored and kid-friendly entertainment that aids those who wonder how Scooby and Shaggy first met, then embarks on a lively journey to discover how they're dealing with a plot to unleash ghost dog Cerberus upon the world. Animated with the voices of Frank Welker, Zac Efron, Gina Rodriguez, Will Forte, Amanda Seyfried, Ken Jeong, Mark Wahlberg, Tracy Morgan, Jason Isaacs; directed by Tony Cervone.
"Resistance" (R, 2 hours) Although we will once again warn readers that those who get their history from movies get the history they deserve, it's likely that this formula-following comedic drama will let audiences know something they probably didn't: Marcel Marceau wasn't always a world-renowned mime. He was also a Jewish actor who joined the French Resistance to save children orphaned by the Nazis. With Jesse Eisenberg, Ed Harris, Bella Ramsey, Matthias Schweighöfer; written and directed by Jonathan Jakubowicz.
"Capone" (R, 1 hour, 43 minutes) Notorious gangster and bootlegger Al Capone, after 10 years in prison, starts suffering from dementia at the age of 47, which proves troublesome when it comes to remembering where he stashed a fortune in ill-gotten gain. The film doesn't do the story justice, but Tom Hardy as Capone is highly watchable. With Linda Cardellini, Matt Dillon, Kyle MacLachlan; written and directed by Josh Trank.
"The Danish Girl" (R, 1 hour, 59 minutes) Inspired by the true story of Danish artists Lili Elbe and her wife, Gerda, this portrait of a marriage, released in 2015, succeeds because of Eddie Redmayne's breathtaking transgender transformation and Alicia Vikander's Oscar-winning performance as the woman who remains desperately in love with him. With Ben Whishaw, Amber Heard, Matthias Schoenaerts; directed by Tom Hooper.
"Survive the Night" (R, 1 hour, 30 minutes) Yet another in the fast-growing Bruce-Willis-movies-you've-never-heard-of genre, this one features the doll-like action star in a supporting role as a retired sheriff whose home is invaded by shot-up robbers looking to force his doctor son (Chad Michael Murray) to patch them up. Filled with clichés and inconsistencies, the best thing about the movie is Willis' glowering, nearly wordless performance. With Shea Buckner, Tyler John Olson, Lydia Hull; directed by Matt Eskandari.