Review - Married Life

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Cinema Voyage - January 2009

Review - Married Life

January 7th 2009 01:33

Who said marriage was easy? If Ira Sachs' Married Life is anything to go by, then we may still have a lot to learn. Set in 1949, the film centres around the marriage of Harry Allen (Chris Cooper) and Pat Allen (Patricia Clarkson). After many successful years of marriage, Harry confides to his best friend, Richard Langley (Pierce Brosnan), that he has met someone else and would like to end his marriage. Richard suggests that maybe an affair would be more appropriate as being a self confessed 'womaniser', settling down with a woman is something he could not even comprehend. Harry opens up to Richard about his seemingly perfect marriage and explains that he yearns for a marriage built on romantic love rather than a marriage focused on sexual relations like the marriage he has with his wife Pat. The opening of the movie sets the pace throughout and the Hitchcockian premise of Married Life mirrors the era perfectly in terms of the setting and characters we are presented with.

Enter Kay Nesbitt (Rachel McAdams), the beautiful bottle-blonde widow emanating old-fashioned charm, as the woman who has captivated Harry's heart. Kay, despite her youth, clearly cares for Harry but it is doubly clear to the audience that her charms do not escape Richard. From the outset he is very keen to pursue his affection for her behind the back of his best friend.

While not an uncommon theme in films, the story becomes even more complicated by Harry's unrealistic belief concerning his relationship with his wife. Although Harry is keen to settle down with Kay, he is convinced that his wife loves him with such passion that it would be less painful for her if he were to kill her rather than divorce her. But undetected murder takes time which gives Richard plenty of time to develop his relationship with Kay leaving Harry alone to plot murder, using poison and his wife's digestive disorder as the method.

No character in the film is flawless, each deceiving one another to various degrees or hiding something to benefit their situation. This stylish film does not fit neatly into one genre offering a movie which is part melodrama, part comedy and part thriller.

I find intelligent, sophisticated movies particularly appealing and the movie is helped along with Richard's wry narration to the storyline adding a somewhat comedic feel to very serious goings on. So the question on offer is, do you know what really goes on in the mind of the person with whom you sleep? Definitely food for thought!

Voyage Review: 4/5

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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Drama

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Comments

2 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Tracy

January 7th 2009 20:20

Movies and Life

Hi Michelle

This sounds like it's worth a look. Interesting review, thanks.

Tracy

Comment by Michelle Sweeney

January 8th 2009 06:06

Competition Queen
Always Learning
Cinema Voyage

Hi Tracy - most definitely. Check it out when you get a chance.

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