Marriage Story on Netflix / COMPANY

[macbeth]

Posted: 12/7/19 at 3:35pm

What did you think of Scarlett Johansson singing 'You Could Drive a Person Crazy' and Adam Driver singing 'Being Alive'? 

The movie wrecked me, and I thought both song choices fit perfectly. 

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 12/7/19 at 5:02pm

Incredible film. Driver, Johansson and Dern are all worthy of awards.

[Speed]

Posted: 12/7/19 at 8:02pm

In what context do they sing those songs?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/7/19 at 10:03pm

Speed said: "In what context do they sing those songs?"

Spoilers below:

 

 

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Both in the third act of the film, almost back-to-back:

- Johansson, her mom (Julie Hagerty), and her sister sing part of "Crazy" at a party.

- Driver sings "Being Alive" at a piano bar with his friends/colleagues. I knew the song was coming, but (further spoiler)

 

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I was NOT prepared for Driver to say all the incidental lines ("you're onto something, Bobby" etc). It's a stunning climax to one of the better films of the year, and Noah Baumbach (dir) and Driver have talked about their mutual love of Company.

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/7/19 at 10:08pm

Also of interest to this board, the film features a bunch of NY theatre actors in small parts: Jasmine Cephas-Jones, Gideon Glick, Matthew Maher, Raymond Lee, David Turner, Roslyn Ruff, and a very fun Wallace Shawn performance.

[and of course Driver, Johansson, and Alan Alda]

Updated On: 12/7/19 at 10:08 PM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 12/7/19 at 11:21pm

Extraordinary film; brilliant screenplay and a quartet of performances to beat in award season.

The Company material is charming and finally spot on.

[LLW2]

Posted: 12/21/19 at 4:11pm

This seems odd. "Driver walked out of an interview earlier this month with Fresh Air host Terry Gross after expressing displeasure at the idea of listening to a clip of himself singing 'Being Alive' from the musical Company."

https://www.thedailybeast.com/adam-driver-walks-out-of-npr-fresh-air-interview-over-marriage-story-clip

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/21/19 at 4:19pm

I watched the film this week and was just as blown away with it as most everyone else seems to be. Driver’s “Being Alive” at the end wrecked me and just left me feeling gutted. That scene was almost as good as the “fight scene” which might be my favorite 10 minutes of film all year.

I am very very curious though, how the song at the end translates to people who’ve never heard it or have no idea what “Company” is. For us here, it will mean something entirely different than it will to Joe Blow who’s never seen a musical in his life.

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 12/21/19 at 4:20pm

I loved this movie so much for the acting, and the Sondheim songs were a perfect way of showcasing the actors in different ways...Adam Driver singing BEING ALIVE, got me choked up with emotion as the song really did belong to him at this point in his life,  and the shrug and relief on his face after singing this moving rendition tells it all...he was living this song and this particular moment...

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 12/21/19 at 7:30pm

I loved the movie, but thought that the fact they BOTH sang Sondheim songs--and from the same show!--was too cute by half. It knocked me out of the story and into thinking about directorial choices.

That said, the Driver-singing scene was brilliant! Someone should tell him to stop cringing: his character isn't supposed to be an accomplished singer and almost certainly never worked on that very difficult song. In that context, Driver sounds fine and, with coaching, I think he could even play the role in COMPANY.

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 12/21/19 at 11:31pm

I thought this movie was a waste of time with completely unlikeable characters. Absolutely boring as well to me.

Seems everyone here liked it but it's been love it or hate in a lot of places I've seen people talking about it.

[LLW2]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 9:07pm

Broadway Joe said: "I thought this movie was a waste of time with completely unlikeable characters. Absolutely boring as well to me."

I tend to agree with you. Also seems like a retread of Kramer vs. Kramer, War of the Roses, and whatever other divorce movies that feature the trope of controlling husbands and vindictive wives.

Updated On: 12/23/19 at 09:07 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/23/19 at 9:33pm

Reading this thread, I was considering trying it again....maybe i was in the wro g head state to view it....because I felt the same as Broadway Joe.

[Rosette3]

Posted: 12/24/19 at 1:34am

LLW2 said: "This seems odd."Driver walked out of an interview earlier this month withFresh Airhost Terry Gross after expressing displeasure at the idea of listening to a clip of himself singing 'Being Alive'from the musicalCompany."

https://www.thedailybeast.com/adam-driver-walks-out-of-npr-fresh-air-interview-over-marriage-story-clip

"

Adam Driver is well known for not watching any of his work. It's unfortunate the interviewer didn't respect his request even knowing this from their previous interview:a few years prior. 

If you have the time/interest Adam Driver SAG-AFTRA interview on YouTube is fascinating. He usually boring interviewee that usually looks agitated to be doing them since he's private person but the SAG-AFTRA interview goes in detail to his background and craft. It's long (1.5hr long interview) but covers everything from the influence of his time in military, training at Juilliard to Hollywood break/movies. I wasn't sure how'd he'd translate on stage (Hollywood acting vs stage) when I went to see Burn This but his transition back to stage from big screen was like he never like left. 

ETA with link.

The series as a whole is interesting to watch. 

 

Updated On: 12/24/19 at 01:34 AM

[theaterdarling]

Posted: 12/24/19 at 8:49am

Rosette3 said: "Adam Driver is well known for not watching any of his work. It's unfortunate the interviewer didn't respect his request even knowing this from their previous interview:a few years prior."

 

Terry Gross (the interviewer) is one of the best interviewers out there and is always very respectful. Knowing that Driver had a sensitivity to hearing himself, she DID gave him a "heads up" and told him he should remove his headphones so he would not have to hear the clip. Love Driver, but diva move. Really - you are an actor on a press tour and you can't steel yourself for this. You hear actors all the time say they can't stand to watch themselves, never see their own movies, etc. and they manage to not walk out of  interviews. Knowing full well that Gross incorporates clips, maybe the choice should have been for him to not be interviewed by her.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Agree wholeheartedly with LLW2 saying "seems like a retread of Kramer vs. Kramer, War of the Roses, and whatever other divorce movies that feature the trope of controlling husbands and vindictive wives."'   and not to mention, did I really need a scene of the parents literally pulling the child in different directions? Really surprised at the almost unanimous critical praise, but, appreciate that it touches others.  I am a divorce attorney, and will say Baumbach (with strong assist by Dern, Liotta and Alda) nailed three very real characterizations of divorce attorneys - but, still, they are retreads.                                                                         

Thought the inclusion of both tunes from "Company". fell completely flat.  Though I was greatly looking forward to Driver singing Sondheim, the choice and placement of both songs was pretty ham-fisted and made me cringe. In "Company", the songs, of course, provide important insight into Bobby and his emotional advancement. Their use in the movie seemed way over the top and painfully superfluous to what has already been dramatized.

                                                                                                                                                                           

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 12/24/19 at 9:42am

I might be in the minority here, but I also found Driver’s Being Alive flat and anticlimactic after what was one of the most amazing performances I’ve seen on screen. Maybe it was because I’ve been binge listening to different versions of Company recently, but the arrangement and the way Driver delivered some lines that many interpreted in a much richer way disappointed me quite a bit.

[yyys]

Posted: 12/24/19 at 5:45pm

Great acting but both Adam and Scarlett do not have any chemistry whatsoever.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 12/24/19 at 6:05pm

On the whole, I very much liked it. Thought it went on too long( editing!) and definitely a "first world problem" situation. It was the performances that really sold me. I found both protagonists to be typical self absorbed artistes so yeah I totally bought their behavior.  I found myself wondering how much he "borrowed" from his own marriage/divorce.  The songs were used  OK- "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" really a little too on the nose.  Being Alive  was better served- I could buy the song just coming up and him indulging himself in a bit of self expression- esp since he did all the dialogue too. THEN him turning back and completing the song yea  for his own closure.

Driver's voice was fine to me,  just edging toward flat but never quite going off. A "trained" voice if not a musically trained one.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 11/12/20 at 1:20pm

Didn't love the movie.  Did love Driver's Being Alive.  Did not mind two Sondheim songs.  This is a story about a bicoastal sho biz family.  Of course they sing Sondheim.