New Love Trumps Vows in Married Life

Although its title promises a light romantic comedy, Married Life is anything but. The movie is actually an in-depth look at a married couple’s relationship—with surprisingly dark plot twists.

Directed by Ira Sachs and based on the book Five Roundabouts to Heaven, Married Life portrays Harry and Pat Allen, played by Chris Cooper and Patricia Clarkson, respectively. This married couple finds that their love has evaporated. Harry has found true love with his girlfriend, Kay (Rachel McAdams). And, rather than forcing Pat to cope with the embarrassment of divorce, Harry decides to kill his wife. Harry’s best friend, Richard (Pierce Brosnan), is the narrator of this story—and he makes it even more complicated by spending his time devising a plan to steal Kay away from Harry.

Cooper and Clarkson skillfully explore the multi-layered relationship of a long-established couple who have slowly drifted apart. Both husband and wife do whatever they can not to desert the other completely while still keeping their individual interests in mind—not to give away any large plot twists, but Pat certainly does not remain the helpless victim she initially seems doomed to be. Clarkson does phenomenal work adding complexity to a character that might otherwise have fallen flat. Similarly, Cooper performs well throughout the movie and steals the show when one least expects it.

In the role of Kay, McAdams is a slight disappointment. She does not have the sexy allure that one would think necessary to attract both Harry and Richard. Her relationship with Harry is also rather confusing, as the two have very little chemistry, and the young girl never makes it clear what she sees in Harry. This awkwardness is redeemed by the amusing interplay between McAdams and Brosnan. Brosnan plays Richard well, walking the fine line between his own feelings and the feelings of his best friend. He is slick but not too slick, aggressive but not too aggressive.

While Married Life is not the choice for optimal relaxation, it does make one think. Some fine acting is on display, and there’s a little humor thrown in for good measure. As Sachs said of his film, “Every time I describe the film in a one-sentence line—people smile. And there’s a reason for that.”