10 Greatest Ray Liotta Movies - Ranked

Noah Baumbach’s 2019 movie was ostensibly about the breakdown of a relationship between Adam Driver’s Charlie and Scarlett Johansson’s Nicole, and the literate drama is thorough in its examination of the increasingly nasty proceedings as the pair separate, at first amicably, later less so.

More interesting, though, is the duel between the pair’s lawyers, Jay and Nora, played by Ray Liotta and an Oscar winning Laura Dern. The two character actors seize the opportunity to rip into Baumbauch’s chewy dialogue. Their scenes with their respective clients are fantastic; they’ve seen this dance thousands of times and know that, with the best will in the world, it’s not going to play out nicely.

When they finally lock horns, it’s electric. Baumbauch brings plenty of personal experience to the table, and the scenes can’t have been easy to write, with Jay doing everything he can to paint Nicole an alcohol dependent, unfit mother.

Liotta is sharklike in this role, a rare opportunity to play one of life’s winners. Indeed his zest is such that you can’t help liking him - or at least feeling that you’d want him in your corner.