A 40s-set chamber piece that combines elements of film noir and Douglas Sirkish melodrama within a surprisingly restrained narrative driven by a strong cast that includes Chris Cooper, Pierce Brosnan, Rachel McAdams and Patricia Clarkson.
Married Life is a film told through nuance, better yet the nuances of passion, which never feels the need to crank up the emotion. Lies, deception, double-crossing, murder, infidelity and no one resorts to violence from aggression or even raising their voice. My wife was put off by this somewhat anti-climatic way of telling this type of story but I found it to be refreshing and falling more on the side of realism.
The cool, bubbly animated credits promise us a more energetic movie that doesn’t come. We start off in a stylish eatery on Nov. 5, 1949 – a time and place where martinis and cigarettes is an accepted form of lunch for suit-adorned businessmen. It’s one such lunch that a childishly sincere Harry (Chris Cooper) confesses to his best bud Richard (Pierce Brosnan) that he’s leaving his wife for somebody that can promise true love.
A romantic at heart, Harry explains that his wife only wants sex but has nothing to give emotionally - a void that he plans on filling with Kay (Rachel McAdams), a bottle-blonde beauty, who Harry trustingly introduces to Richard at the lunch. Kay genuinely seems to love Harry despite the age difference and one can see why Harry easily became so smitten. But it soon becomes clear that it won’t be just Harry who becomes smitten.
So far, so Sirk but noir rears its shadowy face when Harry decides the most merciful way to leave his seemingly devoted wife Pat (Patricia Clarkson) is to kill her – to spare her the agony of divorce I surmise. He honestly believes that the news of him leaving her for somebody else would destroy her and that this may be the most humane way to end things.
Of course, as Harry nervously plots a plan to poison his wife, Richard takes this time to slowly ingratiate himself into Kay’s good charms all with the caddish attempt to steal Kay away. And on top of all of this is Pat who also has her fair share of secrets…
Based on the old pulp novel, ‘Five Roundabouts to Heaven’ from John Bingham, Ira Sachs who co-wrote as well as directed shows considerable constraint against building up to a more obvious and commercial conclusion. The film goes out on a more deserved natural note than the devious, plot-twist it could’ve ended up with.
This is also due to the excellence of Chris Cooper’s central performance that really embraces the honesty of the character and draws sympathy for who is basically a cheating murderer.
McAdams isn’t given much to do but show up and dazzle and that she does. Peirce Brosnan continues to impress post-Bond with this perfect take on the 40s cad. And Clarkson gives what might have been a thankless role an icy depth that further proves that housewives shouldn’t be taken lightly.
This Blu-Ray release features a 1080p AVC encode framed at 1.85:1. While not demo reference as far as expensive special effects go, this transfer is amazing in its own understated way – kind of like the film. It captures the muted color palette and smoky, retro aesthetics perfectly.
If you’re curious what this period would look like in high-def, this would be a good start. A lossless TrueHD audio track is provided that also does a great job of keeping the hushed dialogue and subtle ambiance always clear and enveloping. Even with a film like this, a well thought-out audio mix can go to great lengths in establishing a mood for the viewer.
Special Features include three alternate endings that really highlight how an ending can change the complete feel of the film. These endings contain optional commentary with director Ira Sachs who also provides a very insightful full-length audio commentary.
A rare director that is truly a film aficionado, it was a pleasure to listen to Sachs where his passion for filmmaking is obvious throughout. Some high-def trailers and a BD-Live link for access to more downloadable trailers round out the special features.
Certainly not a film for everybody, I think most casual filmgoers will find this dialogue-driven pic somewhat of a slog and then feel cheated after the virtually eventless climax. Yet, if you’re a fan of more subtle noir and Sirk-like melodrama (like Todd Hayne’s recent Sirk homage ‘Far From Heaven’), you should come away more than satisfied. The Blu-Ray presentation is almost flawless for this type of pic so on that respect, it’s an easy recommend.
Married Life [Blu-Ray] is now available at Amazon . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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