Movie Review of Married Life

Chris Cooper, Rachel McAdams in Period Piece: Dark Suspenseful Drama

Apr 1, 2008

Based on the mystery/pulp novel "Five Roundabouts to Heaven" by John Bingham, "Married Life" sets the right mood for marital mischief.

Playing to a sold-out audience at a special advance screening at the 2008 Florida Film Festival, Married Life is a suspenseful melodrama set in the 1940s. The plot’s twists and turns keep the film interesting, but the acting and production design prove to be more memorable than the actual story.

Chris Cooper stars as Harry, a middle-aged married man who falls in love with Kay (Rachel McAdams), a much-younger woman. Harry’s wife, Pat (Patricia Clarkson) seems to be the perfect wife on the outside – loyal, passionate, and nurturing – but he longs for the closer emotional connection he feels with his mistress. Although he struggles with his commitment to his wife and her dependency upon him, ultimately Harry decides that he must leave Pat in order to be happy.

He confides in his best friend, Richard (Pierce Brosnan), who seems shocked by this turn of events, until he meets the lovely Kay and understands her allure. In fact, he understands the nature of his friend’s attraction all too well for he finds himself also romantically drawn to Kay. Unbeknownst to his buddy, Richard begins his own private pursuit of Kay in the guise of helping others.

Essentially all the characters remain trapped in situations for which they seek a way out. Harry wants to free himself from a stale marriage; Pat misses the love they once shared together but feels obligated to her commitment; Richard may have finally grown tired of his empty life as a swinging bachelor; and Kay seeks to end the loneliness she has felt since the her husband was killed in the war. While all four of these central characters look for a way out of their predicament, they each come to realize that their own path to happiness would make others unhappy. The question becomes: Who is willing to do what for happiness? The story takes on a sinister note when Harry decides to poison his wife in order to save her the grief and embarrassment that he believes his leaving her will surely cause.

The story somehow never quite comes together the way it should and tension doesn’t build the way you would expect, but the film is redeemed through its fine acting. The lead actors play the four main characters with subtle finesse. Clarkson and McAdams both project an outer vulnerability that belies the inner strength and clever conniving that goes on beneath the makeup and fancy clothes. On the other hand, Cooper and Brosnan play outwardly strong characters with lots of secrets that make them potentially vulnerable if exposed. The 1940s cars, clothes, accessories, and home furnishings add a stylish touch, but the story could probably take place anywhere, anytime.

The copyright of the article Movie Review of Married Life in Film Dramas is owned by Leslie C. Halpern. Permission to republish Movie Review of Married Life in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.