Married Life

Chris Cooper, Pierce Brosnan, Patricia Clarkson, Rachel McAdams, David Richmond-Peck

Dir. Ira Sachs
Scr. Ira Sachs & Oren Moverman (based on the novel “Five Roundabouts to Heaven” by John Bingham)

Married Life is a smart, funny, well acted drama. The major moral dilemma we are asked to buy into might well be mildly far-fetched, if not fully-flung absurd. And while this movie is mostly compelling, its pace is sometimes lost. I guess it’s what you could call a slow-burner. In the end, the resolution is neat, believable and even heart-warming. But I couldn’t help feeling slightly ripped off at not being treated to a more chilling and thrilling conclusion. It had potential in spades.

Set in the 1940s, Married Life tells the story of married couple Harry and Pat, Harry’s best friend Rich, and Harry’s mistress Kay. Harry is a dependable sort of bloke who, despite falling in love with another woman, is hesitant to leave his wife because of the hurt and humiliation it will cause. Pat, a frank and cheery woman, has no idea Harry is cheating but, as you will discover, has secrets of her own. Rich is a player, as they say, and on meeting his best friend’s bit-on-the-side, is immediately infatuated with the lovely Kay. What unfolds could almost be a comedy, if it wasn’t so tragic. Harry, intent on both being with Kay and not breaking his wife’s heart, decides the most humane thing to do would be to kill Pat. Painlessly, of course.

The gist of the movie, as summarised in its tagline, is ‘do you know what really goes on in the mind of the person with whom you sleep?’ From the goings-on in this story, the answer is clearly no. It’s a disturbing thought. While no one is completely evil in this film (not even murderous Harry), each and every character would shock their lover with their thoughts and motivations. Wouldn’t we all?

I can’t fault the acting in Married Life. The cast is a director’s dream. Brosnan (as Rich) is on fine form and well suited to both the period and the character. McAdams (as Kay) does surprisingly well – I am not the biggest fan, but she plays this more-complex-than-meets-the-eye character well. Clarkson (as Pat) is a treat to watch – she truly is one the best actresses working today. But, as always, Cooper (as Harry) steals the show. Cooper is an amazing actor, possessed of a wonderfully lived-in face, whose emotional journey in this film is at times chilling, at times heart-breaking. In the end, it is the performances of these actors that keep you hooked on Married Life.

Visually, Married Life is fantastic. The tone is set with a wonderful opening title sequence. From there we are treated to authentic costumes and great sets. Married Life also treats us to a proper and formal way of speaking that harks back to a more restrictive time. But even within this formality, sex was still sex, and the frankness of the circumstances ensures the audience doesn’t feel too distant from characters of a bygone era.

Married Life might bore some. It’s not a thrill-a-minute, although at times it feels like it’s winding itself up to try to be. It’s certainly funny, and at times you will be laughing nervously. Ultimately, I thought the ending could have been stronger – less neat, more bloody! And while you don’t know what is going to happen to these characters in the long-run, you suspect it’ll all be okay. Married Life didn’t deliver 100% for me. But this is a well acted, mostly compelling, slightly odd film that I’m glad I saw.