Married Life

Saw this last night at the premiere, and "Straight to Betamax" could not be more wrong. This is actually the first intelligent, smart and wonderfully acted film of the year, and both Patricia Clarkson and Chris Cooper give wonderful performances in a story which is intriguingly told and compellingly filmed.

I will agree with a few others that Pierce Brosnan seems a bit miscast in this picture, but not to the point that it ruins the film. Additionally, some of Rachel McAdams' dialogue seems a bit out of place for a character like her's during the period in which this story is set (it is supposed to take place in 1949), but she gives a great performance overall and her character is, for the most part (other than a few bad bits of out of place dialogue) fairly believable.

But Cooper and Clarkson are really wonderful in this film and Ira Sachs and company have done a terrific job with this story. Bravo.

I think director/co-writer Ira Sachs' subtle 2007 homage to the old-fashioned studio melodramas of the 1940s and 50s could have used more of the Baroque feverishness of a Douglas Sirk ("All That Heaven Allows") to make the adultery-driven plot more intriguing stylistically - perhaps a face slap here, a gun confrontation there, even a shouting match in a restaurant. Instead, Sachs, along with co-writer Oren Moverman ("The Messenger"), downplays the overripe theatrics in favor of a more Hitchcockian approach to their noirish fable about the transient rules of love and deception. The resulting film is fun to watch due to its faithful period depiction but sometimes little more than a moral exercise in punishing the subversive thoughts and actions of the seemingly staid protagonist.

It's 1949, and the plot centers on Harry, a middle-aged and very married Manhattan executive, who finds himself in love with the much younger Kay, a WWII widow who enjoys the attention of a man so devoted to her. Harry decides he cannot divorce his wife Pat for fear of breaking her heart. In fact, he thinks it's more charitable to murder her by poisoning her digestive powder which she takes religiously every day. Harry's best friend Richard is aware of Harry's intentions and gets caught in the middle trying to save the marriage while finding himself becoming attracted to Kay as well. Not quite the victim she would seem to be, Pat has secrets of her own, which leads to a roundelay of events befitting the increasingly uneasy blend of treachery and absolution. Sachs capably keeps things afloat even when the suspense factor appears overly muted.

A smart quartet of actors has been cast beginning with Chris Cooper ("Adaptation") effectively embodying the crushed soul that Harry has become. Providing the voice-over narration from his character's limited perspective, Pierce Brosnan ("The Matador") uses his naturally erudite manner to great wry effect as Richard, while Patricia Clarkson ("Whatever Works") gives added dimensions of knowingness and cunning to Pat. With her hair dyed an unflattering peroxide blonde, Rachel McAdams ("The Notebook") looks poised to play the femme fatale, but her character is more ingenuous than she looks. That basically means McAdams has little bandwidth to add any complex shading to Kay. The 2008 DVD offers an informative commentary from Sachs, the theatrical trailer, and three alternate endings, each flash-forwarding the story sixteen years later to O. Henry-type resolutions. While interesting, none really add that much to the ending used in the movie.

Before I saw this film, I knew two things about it: The 4 lead actors, and it took place in the early 50's. After seeing Patricia Clarkson in "Far From Heaven," I was anxious to see her play in this period again.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this film. At first I didn't know what to make of it, or where it was going. It is a dark comedy. The twists and turns of the film are completely unexpected. It kept me on my toes, and the 4 lead performances were great.

Without going into the synopsis too much (you can find that anywhere) if I had to compare this film to another..... I'd say it's kind of a darker, funnier "Closer", but set in the early 50's.

What I found interesting about the film is that it was incredibly complex, well-written characters, in very complex situations, set in a very simple time.

Let's talk about Patricia Clarkson for a minute. This is an actress who should've been nominated for several Supporting Actress Oscars by now. (The Green Mile, All The Real Girls, Far From Heaven, Lars and the Real Girl.. to name a few). I hope she finally gets some recognition as the Leading Actress in this film.

Rachel McAdams: This proves her acting abilities. She is incredible in this film. She is so beautiful, subtle, and so commanding. Definitely her most mature role to date.

Of course, I expect nothing less from Oscar-winner Chris Cooper. This proves to me though that he can carry a film, and not just be a strong supporting character.

Brosnan is great too in the least "meaty" I'd say of the 4 leading roles. He is very suave, but also provides some unexpected comic relief.

Great film! Go and see this.

Married Life is set in 1949; the story opens into a picturesque, affluent suburb where Harry Allen (Chris Cooper) resides with his wife, Pat (Patricia Clarkson). But there's trouble brewing beyond the perfect picket fences. Harry has fallen deeply in love with a blonde beauty named Kay (Rachel McAdams). He confesses his secret to his longtime bachelor friend, Richard (Pierce Brosnan), and even introduces Richard to the lovely Kay. Unfortunately for Harry, Richard is instantly smitten, and makes up his mind that he will do whatever it takes to win Kay for himself. Harry, meanwhile, continues to plot ways to escape his marriage, though he fears leaving Pat will destroy her. He soon decides the most humane thing would be to dispose of her the old-fashioned way, with the aid of a little poison. While he debates on when to make his move, we learn that Pat actually has a few secrets of her own. Married Life is a very clever take on the trials and tribulations of marriage. It's a dramatic piece that shows what people do for love and the extreme lengths they go so that they can be with someone. One can never truly know what is going trough their partner's mind and people will always have secrets. The film has a very tense atmosphere and could be just as easily described as a psychological thriller. Visually, the film is stunning and the recreation of the era is mesmerizing. The set design is tremendous and so are the costumes. However, the film biggest strength relies undeniably in the extremely talented cast. Chris Cooper is terrific, specially in the second and third act of the film. Rachel Mcadams is adorable as usual and Pierce Brosnan is very charming. Patricia Clarkson also delivered a very solid performance. Overall, a beautifully crafted and highly entertaining film.

7.5/10

Ira Sachs's dark comedy 'Married Life' is an intriguing little film set in the 40s/50s. Dealing with complex relations, it somewhat portrays the men as selfish and the female as hungry for love...but there are layers and it's not all so black and white. What's also interesting is the unusual cast that includes Pierce Brosnan, Patricia Clarkson, Chris Cooper and a refreshing Rachel McAdams. Though the pairing between McAdams and Brosnan is awkward, the chemistry works better between her and Cooper. Brosnan seems miscast but not to the extent that it ruins the film experience. McAdams is beautiful and pulls off her part quite well but it is Clarkson and Cooper who give the best performances. I'm also surprised that people have taken this film too seriously (to the point that they missed the humour which I thought was creatively done and hilarious). The element of drama is there but how could one miss the comedy? Sach's writing is superb and the direction is solid. I liked how the events unfold and Coopers's character's attempts to get what he wants and his surprise reaction towards the unexpected results. I find the title a little misleading. Yes, the film is about a 'dying' marriage and its complexities but the title is a little too vague and the film focuses on much more than marriage. The score gracefully brings the feel of the 40s. Overall, Sachs has made a clever unconventional black comedy in a period piece.