Indie director Noah Baumbach has been making movies and writing screenplays for decades. He's been nominated for Oscars, screened his films at famous festivals, and created documentaries about his favorite directors. Despite leaving his imprint all over Hollywood, many film lovers do not know him by name.
That seems to have changed with the release of his latest film, Marriage Story. Starring Scarlett Johannson and Adam Driver, the movie has received a lot of critical acclaim and awards-season hype. Baumbach's films, Marriage Story included, tend to highlight the trials and tribulations of coupled or married life, digging deep into what causes some relationships to end and what makes others successful.
No matter the subject matter, there is a signature quirky rawness to Baumbach's films. Here are his 10 best, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Kicking And Screaming (1995) - 55%
Baumbach's debut is not as polished and character-driven as his subsequent films, but it's a strong, promising first. Once long forgotten, Kicking and Screaming has since been granted a Criterion Collection release.
The movie, starring Josh Hamilton and Parker Posey, follows a group of college graduates who are not ready to move on with their lives. Each of them, through various choices, attempts to keep the charade up. Through late-night partying or mindless work, these friends are dissatisfied with the current state of their lives, yet they fear the post-college dream is really a nightmare.
Mr. Jealousy (1998) - 71%
Eric Stoltz stars as an aspiring writer who grapples with feelings of jealousy over his new lover's ex-boyfriend. Stoltz plays Lester, who falls for Ramona. When he finds out she previously dated famous writer Dashiell Frank, Lester stalks Dashiell. Eventually, he joins the group therapy Dashiell attends, ingratiating himself in the man's life.
While a solid film. Mr. Jealousy slid under the radar, receiving only a limited release in theatres. It contains many of the ingredients frequently found in a Noah Baumbach film: creative-types, existential crises, compulsive behavior, and misguided love affairs.
Greenberg (2010) - 76%
Baumbach achieved a higher level of notoriety courtesy of the screenplays he wrote for the Wes Anderson films The Life Aquatic and The Fantastic Mr. Fox. He released Greenberg the year after The Fantastic Mr. Fox hit theatres, a dark comedy starring Ben Stiller and Greta Gerwig.
Stiller stars as Roger Greenberg, who stays in his family home while they're traveling in Vietnam. Roger, it turns out, was just released from a mental institution, and he needs time to become reacclimated to life. He develops a tense romantic relationship with the family's personal assistant, Florence. The film follows the events that unfold in their lives in the weeks after they meet.
Mistress America (2015) - 82%
After Greenberg, Baumbach and Greta Gerwig became frequent collaborators, and the two have been dating since 2011. They have one son together. In Mistress America, Gerwig, who co-wrote the screenplay, plays an NYC-based woman who connects with her soon-to-be stepsister. Gerwig plays Brooke, an aspiring restauranteur who shows Tracy, a student at Barnard College, around the city.
The two develop an instant connection, and Brook exposes Tracy to the many enthralling facets of the Big Apple while wrestling with her own demons and setbacks. While an extended slapstick comedy sequence in the middle of the film divided critics, it received positive reviews overall.
While We're Young (2015) - 84%
Considered one of Baumbach's most poignant and relatable films, While We're Young has an impressive cast, including Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Amanda Seyfried, and Adam Driver. Stiller plays a documentary filmmaker who, along with his wife, befriends a couple in their 20s.
As the older couple, Josh and Cornelia, get closer to the younger couple, they get wrapped up in the high associated with feeling young again. It turns out, though, Jamie, played by Adam Driver, isn't exactly who he seems.
Frances Ha (2013) - 92%
Another film co-written by and starring Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha, focuses on a dancer in New York City experiencing an identity crisis. Filmed in black and white, Frances Ha is imbued with youthful energy, creative exuberance, and honesty.
In the film, the eponymous Frances is in serious financial trouble, but she tries to make the most of it, living an itinerant, nomadic life. The movie follows her as she spontaneously buys a plane ticket to Paris using a credit card and then travels to her alma mater, Vassar College, in order to make money working on campus for the summer. The film seems to capture her last gasp before she finally decides to settle into a more steady life.
The Squid and the Whale (2009) - 93%
Baumbach landed an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay with this family drama. Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney play married writers whose union falls apart. They have two sons, and the movie delves into how the separation affects the boys.
The Squid and the Whale also star Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline as the sons, as well as Anna Paquin and William Baldwin as the new love interests of each parent. The film received tons of critical acclaim, and Baumbach was lauded for his authentic examination of how families survive divorce.
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017) - 94%
When this film premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, it received a four-minute standing applause. Another gripping family drama, The Meyerowitz Stories stars Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, and Elizabeth Marvel as the adult children of the sculptor Harold Meyerowitz.
Harold, played by Dustin Hoffman, is an unconventional father who, despite loving his children, wasn't always available to them in the ways they needed. Married four times, Harold's children are all half-siblings who've taken different paths through life. The film's engrossing narrative unfolds as Harold's health declines.
Marriage Story (2019) - 95%
Many of Baumbach's later films have been produced and released by Netflix, and Marriage Story is no exception to this rule. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson play a young married couple with a son who decides to get a divorce. Driver's character Charlie is a playwright debuting a new stage production in New York. Johansson plays Nicole, the star of the play and a former child actor.
As they both explore their careers, their marriage falls apart, and they fight for custody of their son. Marriage Story has garnered some serious Oscars buzz.
De Palma (2016) - 95%
The only documentary on this list, De Palma is co-directed with Jake Paltrow. The film's focus is controversial, yet iconic, film director Brian De Palma, known for films like Carrie, Scarface, and Blow Out.
In the documentary, contemporary interviews with De Palma, who is still alive, are broken up with archival footage featuring many of his collaborators. De Palma is a film for true fans, treating its subject like a cinematic hero.