David O'ConnellThe darker side of Married Life
September 22nd 2008 05:10
Ira Sachs' new film has a first-rate cast but an often recycled plot about the complicated trysts that subvert the married lives of ordinary men and women. The novelty here is the setting, in America 1949, but it fails to rejuvenate the tired formula inherent in the screenplay by Sachs and Oren Moverman, based on a book called Five Roundabouts to Heaven by John Bingham.
The most astute piece of casting is having Chris Cooper as main protagonist Harry Allen, a man dearly devoted to his wife Pat (Patricia Clarkson), and in a seemingly perfect marriage to outsiders looking in, but who has fallen under the spell of a younger woman, Kay Nesbitt (Rachel McAdams), who offers much more than the strictly carnal desires which drive Pat.
He confides this in his best friend and narrator of the story, Richard Langley (Pierce Brosnan), who himself has viewed women squarely as a pastime of sorts, unable to hold his attention on a single one for very long until now.
Harry can’t envisage as easy transitional period for Pat as he contemplates a new life with Kay, which he’s taking steps to establish. He comes to the conclusion that his only viable solution is to kill his wife, thus making a clean break and preventing years of lingering torment for her at the hands of his infidelity.
However, other unforeseeable factors and twists come into play to thwart his perfect plan and prevent it from reaching fruition – as they always do! Including Richard’s attention straying towards Kay as well, putting his friendship with Harry – which is never believably depicted – at great risk.
The parts are there for a compelling drama but Sachs’ direction is pedestrian and some of his key players miscast. McAdams especially seems lightweight and out of her depth; though physically entrancing, she’s unable to inject any real nuance into her portrayal of this lascivious object of male attention.
Brosnan seems to have stumbled in from another film, bored and detached and with his misplaced accent; considering the emphasis placed on his role and its omniscient narration, his casting is close to a fatal misstep.
There are some admittedly tense moments towards the end as perfect ploys and divine intervention cross paths, but Harry’s staid, unemotional exterior and Pat’s passivity only hinder the overall effect and do nothing to enliven the film and take it to the level of riveting drama.
It’s inevitably weighed down by its pointless period setting as well, which adds little in the way of an interesting perspective of an era past, only placing it against the Douglas Sirk melodramas it mostly accurately resembles.
There’s nothing here that couldn’t have been recreated in a modern setting with 21st century complications more able to open up the intricacies of these overlapping relationships and their lusts, betrayals and deceptions.
Though it held my attention for its 85 minute running time, Married Life still ended as somewhat of a disappointment, an overly familiar melodramatic refrain, unable to hold my fascination with its passionless, undemonstrative cardboard cut-outs in place of real people.
The most astute piece of casting is having Chris Cooper as main protagonist Harry Allen, a man dearly devoted to his wife Pat (Patricia Clarkson), and in a seemingly perfect marriage to outsiders looking in, but who has fallen under the spell of a younger woman, Kay Nesbitt (Rachel McAdams), who offers much more than the strictly carnal desires which drive Pat.
He confides this in his best friend and narrator of the story, Richard Langley (Pierce Brosnan), who himself has viewed women squarely as a pastime of sorts, unable to hold his attention on a single one for very long until now.
Harry can’t envisage as easy transitional period for Pat as he contemplates a new life with Kay, which he’s taking steps to establish. He comes to the conclusion that his only viable solution is to kill his wife, thus making a clean break and preventing years of lingering torment for her at the hands of his infidelity.
However, other unforeseeable factors and twists come into play to thwart his perfect plan and prevent it from reaching fruition – as they always do! Including Richard’s attention straying towards Kay as well, putting his friendship with Harry – which is never believably depicted – at great risk.
The perfect marriage of Pat (Patricia Clarkson) and Harry Allen (Chris Cooper) is beginning to dissolve beneath the surface
The parts are there for a compelling drama but Sachs’ direction is pedestrian and some of his key players miscast. McAdams especially seems lightweight and out of her depth; though physically entrancing, she’s unable to inject any real nuance into her portrayal of this lascivious object of male attention.
Brosnan seems to have stumbled in from another film, bored and detached and with his misplaced accent; considering the emphasis placed on his role and its omniscient narration, his casting is close to a fatal misstep.
Rachel McAdams as Kay, the object of Harry's attention
There are some admittedly tense moments towards the end as perfect ploys and divine intervention cross paths, but Harry’s staid, unemotional exterior and Pat’s passivity only hinder the overall effect and do nothing to enliven the film and take it to the level of riveting drama.
It’s inevitably weighed down by its pointless period setting as well, which adds little in the way of an interesting perspective of an era past, only placing it against the Douglas Sirk melodramas it mostly accurately resembles.
Further trouble begins to brew when Pierce Brosnan's Richard begins sniffing around
There’s nothing here that couldn’t have been recreated in a modern setting with 21st century complications more able to open up the intricacies of these overlapping relationships and their lusts, betrayals and deceptions.
Though it held my attention for its 85 minute running time, Married Life still ended as somewhat of a disappointment, an overly familiar melodramatic refrain, unable to hold my fascination with its passionless, undemonstrative cardboard cut-outs in place of real people.
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