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Directing: B+
Acting: B+
Writing: B+
Cinematography: B-
Editing: B



One has to wonder if the decision to set Married Life in the forties came down to the fact that it was a time when people generally had a far more conservative idea of what "married life" ought to be at the time. Given all the infidelity and murder plotting going on, though, it seems the film would have had exactly the same impact had it been set in the present day. One wonders if the setting was just an excuse to have fun dressing people up in period costumes and decorating sets to match.

The story, though, is as modern as they come -- and indeed, more likely to be believable by today's standards than by those of the 1940s. This is especially the case with the female characters, none of whom embody the "subservient wife" role put upon women at the time. That said, Married Life is still so well played that one forgets these nitpicky complaints and still gets wrapped up in the plot.

Pierce Brosnan is Richard Langley, an English playboy living in America and hanging out with childhood friend Harry Allen, played by Chris Cooper. Richard narrates the story, which is somewhat confusing until near the very end, given how little of the story is observed first-hand by him -- but he's the one who tells us about the stale marriage between Harry and Pat (the wonderful Patricia Clarkston, unfortunately given the least meaty role here); about Harry's affair with the young widow Kay (Rachel McAdams); about Harry's decision to murder Pat as an "act of mercy" so she won't be devastated by his leaving her for another woman; and about how Richard himself also falls for Kay.

Clearly things get complicated, yet the plot unfolds with patent simplicity, and at a measured pace that some might call slow but which I would call satisfying. As these relationships intertwine, director Ira Sachs allows for plenty of nuance, and the actors are up to the task. When Richard, under the clear understanding that he's always welcome at the Allens' weekend cabin, goes there and interrupts Pat in the middle of her own love affair, the typical fireworks one might usually expect are replaced by repressed awkwardness and forced graciousness. It's fascinating -- and a little funny, too -- to see characters engaged in forced politeness in such a situation. (This is one instance where the characters' actions might feel more realistic in the 1940s; however, there are plenty of upper-crust social circles in existence today where the situation might unfold the same way.)

There is nothing extraordinary about Married Life, yet it does provide plenty of food for thought, about love and relationships and what certain people will do under the right circumstances. Best of all, it never quite goes where you would expect it to; these days, believable unpredictability is a rare and wonderful thing in film.

If anything, the editing could have used a little tightening -- making the flow of the story more natural, as opposed to quicker -- and the cinematography could have been improved. There are a few scenes shot in a way that seem intended to evoke 1940s classic pictures, but instead come across as a bit lazy. It almost seems a waste to recreate the world of that era when there are no shots that truly bring those environmental details to life; this is one area in which that other 1940s film in theatres now, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day does a much better job.

When it comes to character and story, though, Married Life is the winner. It eases you comfortably into the these people's world, and produces an effect similar to reading a satisfying dramatic novel (and, indeed, this film is based on a novel). Not everything in it necessarily makes sense, but that lends a certain level of welcome grittiness in the otherwise posh world it presents, explores, and upturns.



Overall: B+
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