Many fans may be most familiar with Oscar Isaac’s work in major franchises like Star Wars, in which he played Poe Dameron in the sequel trilogy, or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for which he led the live-action streaming series Moon Knight (he also voiced Miguel O’Hara in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse). However, Isaac’s filmography goes far beyond just these blockbuster franchises.
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For decades, Isaac has starred in movies and TV shows that are perhaps lesser known but are arguably more artistic in nature than his better known projects, such as Inside Llewyn Davis. Yet another project that fits into that category is one that is too often overlooked but is actually Oscar Isaac at his very best: The 2021 HBO Max limited series Scenes from a Marriage, a remake of Ingmar Bergman’s 1973 Swedish series of the same name.
Scenes From A Marriage Is A Gorgeous Limited Series
The 2021 remake of Scenes from a Marriage centers on married couple Jonathan (Oscar Isaac) and Mira (Jessica Chastain). At first, the couple seems relatively happy. The series kicks off with an awkward interview of the two, suggesting there may be some trouble brewing, but there weren’t major red flags yet. However, after an abortion that leaves both spouses hurting in their own ways and a bombshell revelation by Mira, their marriage falls apart.
What ensues is a complex story that sheds light upon love, divorce, mental health, parenthood, and so much more, all told with nothing short of stellar acting by both Isaac and Chastain. What’s more, the series is visually stunning; the way that it is shot feels raw and real, adding to the disarming realism of Isaac and Chastain’s portrayals. As a point of comparison, Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, which was released just two years before this, is one of the best divorce movies on streaming, and this blows that movie out of the water.
Oscar Isaac Has Never Been Better
Oscar Isaac is a brilliant actor, and his aforementioned major roles make that clear. (Yes, the sequel trilogy movies are largely seen as some of Star Wars’ worst movies, but Poe Dameron was generally well received, especially early on.) Yet, Isaac brings something entirely new in Scenes from a Marriage. He has several scenes that require a stunning amount of emotion, and he arguably carries the entire narrative.
Both Isaac and Scenes from a Marriage therefore deserve considerably more attention. Currently, the series has a solid 83% critic score and 81% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and while that’s respectable, it doesn’t feel as though this project was given its flowers to the extent that it deserved. Luckily, the series is currently available to stream on HBO Max, so it’s not too late for audiences to give it a shot.
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