Marriage Story: what makes Noah Baumbach’s drama so touching is the glimpses of what-could-have-been, and how avoidable the situation may seem from the outside; it is also a reminder that, no matter how privy the viewer may be to what the characters feel and think, there is always more than meets the eye. Nevertheless, as the story out of the marriage progresses, intimacy is shared; there are touching moments, enraging moments, head-scratching moments, and the reason those connect is how real the characters feel and how balanced is film’s look at them. The film is pretty generous both with Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, giving each a chance to show quite a range of emotions and at least one home-run of a scene to play. The supporting cast is likewise in fine shape, even if their roles are more limited in scope: Laura Dern makes a fine lawyer shark, while Alan Alda is equally effective as a more of an aw-shucks type. Young Azhy Robertson is charming. The film is well-paced, and well-shot by cinematographer Robbie Ryan, who gives the actor plenty of space to operate (except when he doesn’t, in the painful close-ups).