Married Life: Movie Review (2008)

Directed by Ira Sachs, written by Sachs and Oren Moverman, 90 minutes, rated PG-13.

The end of August always is a dumping ground for Hollywood, and this past week was no exception. Though “Hamlet 2” was worth a visit, viewings of the barf-fueled comedy “College,” the Vin Diesel sci-fi dud “Babylon A.D.” and the aptly named “Disaster Movie” were so depressing, they were like to listening to a child bang on a metal pot for the better part of five hours.

And what an aggressive, unhappy child, at that.

Since there’s little sense taking up your time exploring them here, let’s just cut to the chase, say that all are about as recommended as a rash--and move on. I doubt I’m alone in craving a shot of substance at summer’s end--or, at the very least, something well-written, different and entertaining--so the best recourse is to step away from the cineplex and explore some of the better titles available on DVD and high-definition Blu-ray disc.

One film that didn’t make the rounds upon its limited March release but which deserves attention is Ira Sachs’ noir comedy thriller “Married Life.” Co-written by Sachs and Oren Moverman from the John Bingham novel “Give Roundabouts to Heaven,” the movie is set in 1949 and it tells the tale of one Harry Allen (Chris Cooper), a successful, smoky businessman who long has been married to smoky Pat (Patricia Clarkson), a loving wife who knows in her heart that Harry needs her.

The trouble with Harry in this movie that pointedly recalls Hitchcock is that he really doesn’t need her. Or especially want her. Oh, he loves Pat--there’s no question about that. But since all Pat wants from him is sex, fuddy-duddy Harry would prefer to fold himself into the loving arms of the much younger and very blond Kay (Rachel McAdams), who enjoys conversation, smoking and dancing, and whose red lips are as bright as a stop sign, not that Harry stops himself from kissing them.

“Married Life” is narrated by smoky Richard (Pierce Brosnan, the film’s only weak link), who has been Harry’s friend since childhood, and who takes an instant liking to Kay, who shuns his affectionate glances while Harry, unknown to Kay, plots Pat’s demise. What he has in store for her is a very loving act of murder, if that’s conceivable. Harry, you see, has done his homework. Because he has the sort of ego that makes him believe that leaving Pat would kill her, he plans to kill Pat via the kindness of a certain poison, which in this case would put her to sleep until her heart stops. Nothing messy. Certainly no blood. Just a brief, quiet goodbye to an old friend.

Since nobody coming to this movie will believe for a minute that it’s going to be that easy for Harry, it isn’t. For all sorts of reasons that won’t be revealed here, Harry has a time of it trying to do away with Pat while Richard, in the meantime, has a time of it trying to work his magic on Kay.

Balancing dark comedy with real moments of tension is no easy task, but Sachs pulls it off from the first scream that cries from Pat’s throat. Before that scream, everything in the movie seems canned and a little off, as if the cast merely had shown up for a dress rehearsal of the 1940s. But a gifted actress such as Clarkson can deliver a very real, chilling scream, which she does, thus allowing the movie to settle into itself. Everyone around her seems to come to life by it all.

What follows from this is are all sorts of reasons to detest Harry, many more reasons to feel the same toward Richard, and even Pat and Kay aren’t exactly angels. Especially Pat. Oh, that Pat. In the end, they’re all just smoking out each other’s emotions with an odd kind of grace and dignity, the likes of which are corrupted by the stronger tug of human needs and emotions, usually of the selfish variety.

Grade: B