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Married Life

Getting to the heart of "til death do us part"

By Geoff Berkshire

Metromix
March 6, 2008

Critic's Rating:

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Richard (Pierce Brosnan) believes his friends Harry (Chris Cooper) and Pat (Patricia Clarkson) have the perfect marriage, until Harry announces that he wants to leave Pat for his mistress Kay (Rachel McAdams). But Harry is so certain his wife would never be able to handle his departure that he formulates a plan to kill her first.

Big question: Does the intriguing combination of actors make for a satisfying film?

Catch it: Brosnan's role remains frustratingly underdeveloped but the other three stars will keep you from wanting to separate from this talky hodge-podge of drama, comedy, suspense and romance. McAdams imbues Kay with a vulnerability and loneliness that makes her more than just an "other woman" cliché; Clarkson lends her natural warmth to a potential victim who can take care of herself; and Cooper pulls off the tricky role of an old-school American male who is both uneasy with yet reliant upon his position as head of the household.

Skip it: If, like Richard, you think marriage is an illness to which you're immune. You won't be too happy with how that philosophy plays out.

Bottom line: There's not much subtlety to the film's message that it's impossible to know what's going on inside the head of the person who shares your bed. But its exploration of the lies and deceptions that occur in romantic relationships is engrossing and Sachs avoids the casual misogyny that other filmmakers have brought to similar material. (Yes, that means you Woody Allen.)

Bonus: See Brosnan revert to his old James Bond ways when he tells Kay he'd like a drag of her cigarette " because it touched your lips."