‘How to Divorce During the War’ Review: A Droll, Perceptive Look at Handling Personal Crises Amid Political Ones

On the face of it, for a comfortable middle-class couple in Lithuania, getting divorced has absolutely nothing to do with the war in Ukraine. Why would it? But when their separation happens to coincide with the Russian invasion two countries away, these two very differently scaled crises wind up jointly defining a disorienting phase of family life for high-flying media exec Marija (Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė) and slacking screenwriter Vytas (Marius Repšys). And while a whole country’s anguish may put their problems in perspective, that doesn’t necessarily make those problems easier to solve. A drily witty, subtly searing comedy from writer-director Andrius Blaževičius, “How to Divorce During the War” is both empathetic and surgical as it examines both partners’ attempts to sublimate selfish angst into social activism.

Lithuanian writer-director Blaževičius’ third feature reunites him with the two superb leads of his terrific 2021 sophomore effort “Runner,” a time-compressed relationship thriller…