Married Life review by MissMovieFan

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 90 minutes
Directed by: Ira Sachs
Cast: Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson, Pierce Brosnan, Rachel McAdams

*** SPOILER ALERT***

Ira Sach's Married Life is a character driven period piece. Set in 1949, this film takes us back to a time when divorce could seriously be considered a fate worse than death. Oscar winner Chris Cooper plays Harry, an adulterous husband entangled in an affair with a pretty young widow, Kay (Rachel McAdams). He plots to poison his wife Pat (Patricia Clarkson) to spare her the pain and humiliation of abandonment. Meanwhile his best friend, Richard (Pierce Brosnan), a philandering playboy, also has designs on Kay.

Married Life features a quartet of talented actors whose performances make the viewer think about what lies beneath our own happiness - or lack of it. Both Patricia Clarkson and Chris Cooper shine as these complex characters. But McAdams was seriously underutilized. She’s all dolled up reminiscent of Veronica Lake or Kim Novak which helps to sell the part. But she’s only on screen for about 10 minutes... nowhere near enough time for the character development that would’ve led us to believe she was worth murdering your wife. Brosnan’s narration worked and he certainly looks dapper in those vintage suits, but he was miscast in this role. His performance seemed forced and he lacked chemistry with his co-stars. Peter Deming's cinematography was lovely and a rich score magnifies the shifting moods of the characters. There’s also a really cool opening credit sequence. I loved the authentic costumes, cars and wonderful art deco sets shot is the haze of cigarette smoke... great attention to detail and true to the era.

The screenplay is based (very loosely I might add) on the John Bingham book "Five Roundabouts to Heaven", a murder mystery set in 1930's Europe where lots of people die in the end. Married Life has much less of that Hitchcock suspense and more introspection into the turmoil of matrimony. It explores how each of us defines "love". Harry is looking for somebody to spoil him and dote on him. Pat believes sex is the prime motivator in any relationship. Her husband’s reluctance to make love to her drives her into the arms of a novelist. Sach’s point is clear throughout the film that we have an uncanny ability to exist in a state of "comfortable misery". So many people never walk away from what isn’t working. In the end we all choose our own cages.

But sadly, Married Life is as dry as the martinis the characters keep drinking. For a story about murder and infidelity, it was missing the pain and surprise of Sachs’ Indie success Forty Shades of Blue. Too much of the dialogue and some of the scenes seemed out of place and lacked credibility. It was awkward for me to hear a man beg off sex. The scene where Harry, an everyday businessman, kills his dog in a "dry run" for his wife’s proposed demise was just off and completely unnecessary. The stagnant storyline has too few ironic twists and wraps up in exactly the last place it ought to end up. The feel-good happily ever after ending completely ruined this film for me. It didn’t fit the rest of the story at all and just wasn’t believable. After all of the treachery, deception and murderous intent, the scene with the two couples dining together as "friends" then playing a game and laughing as though nothing ever happened was totally unrealistic. What on earth was Sachs thinking? I give Married Life 2 out of 5 stars. Wait for the DVD.