Kramer vs Kramer of 21st century

What are the two types of storiesfilms there usually can be One that plucks you out of reality in order to experience a world that most likely you never will mdash these are pictures traversing across genres between murders to mysteries of the unknown future of the universe A touch of truth though naturally elevates these stories toward timelessness Star Wars isnt real But it is realisticWhats the other type Ones that compel you to dig deeper into realities within yourself or around you mdash almost holding you by the eyeballs for a sense of recognition alone This is close to journalistic A touch of untruth and the story wont survive the present let alone the test of timeWhich of the two do you mostly prefer Depends on who you are I guess There are obviously no hard and fast rules But conventional wisdom seems to suggest that peoplesocieties experiencing an overdose of reality mdash too many everyday serioussurvival issues personal and otherwise mdash tend to prefer escapism for their entertainmentThose with the more First World problems on the other hand mdash related to aspect much higher up on Maslows Hierarchy of Needs mdash are more inclined towards dramas throwing light on the human condition often their own but that of the others tooHow do you more specifically characterise a FirstWorldProblem I suspect if its to do with a nearly perennial state of personal confusion bordering on angst veering towards an existential crisis mdash none of which will seem so apparent to you on the face of it anywayThis is really the point at which the lead couple in Noah Baumbachs Marriage Story mdash played by Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver mdash are at in their married lifeThats when we meet them in the movie Or as Johanssons character puts it Whats the opposite of fianceacute mdash an almost exhusband Thats what Drivers character is for her at the momentHas their marriage been through the sort of tragedy or event that the generation before theirs or the lawyers around them might wish to pinpoint as a trigger No Is there something so deeply incompatible about these two people that should make them want to gun for each other Not at allIn fact they seem like such a normal couple having fallen in and out of love that if it wasnt for the fact that they can both still wish for something better they could continue being this normal forever What theyre going through might even seem like their whole life depended on it But it doesnt Its just life As it should be Or is at any rateYou could watch E7 S2 of Little Lies on Netlfix to get a closer approximation of stuff between a young Indian couple in case Drivers New Yorkbased top theatre director Charlie Barber and Johanssons LAraised theatreTV actor Nicole seem too culturally specific Its really the same whether youre on American EastWest Coast or indeed an equally individualistic emancipated upperclass metropolitan IndiaThe only thing complicating the lead couples life is the child between them mdash the love for whom is more unconditional than between adults that often hinges on egos equality and inevitable possession Something about the shot of a wellmeaning father and an innocent son that reminds me of Vittorio De Sicas Bicycle Thieves 1943 no matter which film it appears inBut Marriage Story is a divorce drama And nothing in this genre had come close to Robert Bentons Kramer vs Kramer Dustin Hoffman Meryl Streep But that was in 1979 Whats changed since The popular perception that a couple must somehow persevere in order to preserve a little child from the mental screwupscare of a parental divorce The fact is a childs better off with two happy parents living separately than unhappy ones living togetherActor Aamir Khan along with director Mansoor Khan blatantly lifted the script along with crucial scenes from Kramer vs Kramer to make a semipop slightly massy type Bollywood entertainer Akele Hum Akele Tum costarring Manisha Koirala in 1995 Did it work Not for me as audience Didnt seem truthfulreal enough what with Anu Malik also copying The Godfather theme for the song Raja ko rani se pyar ho gaya HahBaumbachs Marriage Story that dropped on Netflix late last week and has just picked up maximum nominations at the Golden Globe having won Golden Lion at the Venice film festival is a deeply personal story mdash seemingly autobiographical although havent met the filmmaker to know this for sureDont know if divorcerates are going up That marriage as an institution is going through a serious rethink I can see all around me This could be your story Certainly feels like a lot of my friends Rather watch than pry into their real livesMayank Shekhar attempts to make sense of mass culture He tweets mayankw14Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individuals and dont represent those of the paperCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across 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