Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac team up once again in the new HBO limited series Scenes from A Marriage. Kevin Muller and Armando Vanegas review the new series that’s currently streaming on HBO Max and Apple TV.
#ScenesFromAMarriage #TVReview
“Television drama miniseries which re-examines the original’s iconic depiction of love, hatred, desire, monogamy, marriage and divorce through the lens of a contemporary American couple, played by Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain.”
After watching this movie, I’ve decided to retire from being a fan of movies because Noah Baumbach’s latest movie Marriage Story finally did what I’ve wanted from movies and nothing else will compare. The Squid and the Whale was one of the movies that made me a fan of movies because it made me realize you can talk about real things like marital issues onscreen and it can impact the audience talking about those things. It doesn’t have to make you laugh, be scared, or excite you. It can also stick with you on a more personal level. Writer/director Noah Baumbach had that special touch, even back then. I think since Squid, I’ve wanted Baumbach to keep going into that well. Perhaps, I have personal things that made me want this. It also was helpful to learn that he was a child of divorce and that it was a semi-autobiographical look at his parents’ marriage. How he touched on divorce in Squid made me feel like I was seen. Marriage Story didn’t exactly fulfill those satisfactions if only because I didn’t need that itch scratched anymore. I’m young and I just want to enjoy whatever’s out there. When I saw Squid, I wanted more time in that world with these characters because it was so engrossing to me. Logically, there’s no way for this to continue because it felt complete enough even though the ending could be stronger. The movie gods have answered as this is essentially a spiritual sequel to The Squid and the Whale and it has that incredibly written Baumbach dialogue to listen to for 2 hours. It seems that he’s gotten his takes on how divorce sucks out of his system and I did as well. As far as I can tell, movies are now dead and I will leave this movie life and become a cobbler. But before I do, I’ll talk about Marriage Story. Semi-based on Baumbach’s previous relationship, the movie deals with a theater couple who decide to go through with a divorce. As they realize, this process is extremely difficult and rough as they deal with ruthless lawyers and surprise reveals about each other. If The Squid and the Whale was the breakthrough EP, then Marriage Story is the mic drop and the surefire hit that defines Baumbach as one of the great American directors of his time.
Divorce returned earlier this summer for a third season on HBO, which is great. The bad news is that it’s the last season and also has a very short amount of episodes. No matter the quantity, it remains an effectively bittersweet slice of life comedy about how two people try to maintain an amicable relationship during divorce and it stays that way until the end. I can already tell you’re at the edge of your seat. Understandably, it’s not as exciting as white walkers and dragons, but it’s interesting in its own way. Considering how quick the announcement came just before the season premiered could mean it was taken out just before it reached its logical endpoint. Having seen it, this is a pretty nice way for the series to leave on as it still maintains the same high quality humor and drama that it’s brought us in such a short run.
Divorce is an HBO series in which Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church are Frances and Robert, a couple who, after a strange event at a friend’s house, realize that they’re stuck in a rut in their marriage, causing them to divorce. Created by Irish actress/writer/producer Sharon Horgan of Amazon’s Catastrophe and IFC’s The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret and executive produced by Paul Simms of NewsRadio, Atlanta, and Girls, the series offers an unflinching look at what happens when two adults decide to get a divorce and the complications that come as a result while attempting to keep things as civilized as possible. The show is great at showing how different both Frances and Robert might have their faults, but no one is painted as an outright villain as the actors bring multiple dimensions to their characters, so that we can understand what they loved in each other and what made them break apart.
HBO has confirmed fall debuts for the new series WESTWORLD, DIVORCE, INSECURE and HIGH MAINTENANCE.
The one-hour drama series WESTWORLD (ten episodes) is a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, it explores a world in which every human appetite, no matter how noble or depraved, can be indulged. The cast includes Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Jimmi Simpson, Rodrigo Santoro, Shannon Woodward, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Ben Barnes, Simon Quarterman, Angela Sarafyan, Luke Hemsworth and Clifton Collins, Jr.Inspired by the motion picture “Westworld,” written and directed by Michael Crichton. Production companies, Bad Robot Productions, Jerry Weintraub Productions and Kilter Films in association with Warner Bros. Television. Executive producer/writer/director, Jonathan Nolan; executive producer/writer, Lisa Joy; executive producers, J.J. Abrams, Jerry Weintraub, Bryan Burk.
The half-hour comedy series DIVORCE (ten episodes) stars Sarah Jessica Parker, who also serves as an executive producer, as Frances, a woman who suddenly begins to reassess her life and her marriage, and finds that making a clean break and a fresh start is harder than she thought. The show also stars Thomas Haden Church, Molly Shannon, Talia Balsam, Tracy Letts, Sterling Jerins and Charlie Kilgore. Pilot episode written by Sharon Horgan; directed by Jesse Peretz. Series created by Sharon Horgan; executive produced by Paul Simms, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sharon Horgan, Alison Benson and Aaron Kaplan.
The half-hour comedy series INSECURE (eight episodes), starring Issa Rae, Yvonne Orji, Jay Ellis and Lisa Joyce, looks at the friendship of two black women and their uncomfortable experiences and racy tribulations. Created and executive produced by Issa Rae, the show is also executive produced by Prentice Penny, Melina Matsoukas, Michael Rotenberg, Dave Becky and Jonathan Berry. Larry Wilmore serves as a consultant.
The half-hour comedy series HIGH MAINTENANCE (six episodes) follows a Brooklyn pot dealer who delivers to clients with neuroses as diverse as the city. The show stars Ben Sinclair as “The Guy,” a friendly pot dealer whose clients include an eccentric group of characters, revealing the dynamics of their lives. From the unexpected and offbeat to the predictable and mundane, the series provides a glimpse into the daily routines of the customers and how they light things up. Created and written by the married duo of Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair, and executive produced by Katja Blichfeld, Russell Gregory and Ben Sinclair.
Press Release Courtesy of HBO
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