phd_travel There is a fabulous cast and interesting unexpected storyline. Worth watching.The cast is excellent. Chris Cooper is good though a bit ugly. Patricia Clarkson is excellently suited. Rachel McAdams is luminous and lovable. Pierce looks younger than he has recently and is quite good.The story unfold like a good play with enough suspense to keep you riveted to the end. The characters are not obviously good or bad - they all have some good and some bad. A wanna be murderer who is good hearted. A best friend who isn't. A home wrecker who isn't unlikeable. A good wife who isn't faithful. Loved the neat ending where all is well that ends well.A must see.

iNeedaTimeMachine21 This film is nothing short of delightful. The humor is subtle yet effective, the acting brilliant. Cooper and McAdams give especially astounding, emotion-provoking performances, and Brosnan and Clarkson are simply wonderful.Married Life is a quirky picture, but a funny, romantic, and well-acted one as well. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the music charming...especially Doris Day's rendition of "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" in the opening credits. I enjoy movies that breathe, that sneak their way into your heart before you even realize what's happening.Married Life does just that.

TxMike Mostly set in 1949 and 1950, when most men still wore hats outside.Chris Cooper is Harry Allen, a well-to-do business man with a nice office and a secretary that does things for him. Yes, that is the way it was back then. Patricia Clarkson is his wife Pat Allen, and she has a somewhat peculiar definition of love, to her it means great sex, and often. She doesn't quite understand how her husband wants emotional closeness. Pierce Brosnan is Harry's friend since they were boys, Richard Langley, and they seem to tell each other everything. At least Harry tells Richard. This leads to much of the complications in the story.The biggest and prettiest complication is Rachel McAdams as young war widow Kay Nesbitt. The story involves romance not necessarily in one's own bedroom, and the complications that ensue when reality catches up with the deceptions. Good, interesting movie. All first-rate actors.SPOILERS: Harry loves Pat, but he has really become smitten with younger and prettier Kay, who appears to love him equally. Harry knows he has to be with Kay, but he also worries that it will make Pat unhappy the rest of her live, so he does the only logical (to him) thing, he plots to murder Pat. Meanwhile Pat has developed a sexual relationship with another man, but she knows that Harry "needs" her so she has no interest in leaving Harry. But Richard, a perpetually single playboy sees Kay as a worthwhile target and sets about luring her away from Harry's affections and into his. He eventually succeeds, and fortunately Harry's attempt to poison Pat fails, so Pat and Harry and Kay and Richard learn to embrace what life has given them and make the most of it.

Chrysanthepop Ira Sachs's dark comedy 'Married Life' is an intriguing little film set in the 40s/50s. Dealing with complex relations, it somewhat portrays the men as selfish and the female as hungry for love...but there are layers and it's not all so black and white. What's also interesting is the unusual cast that includes Pierce Brosnan, Patricia Clarkson, Chris Cooper and a refreshing Rachel McAdams. Though the pairing between McAdams and Brosnan is awkward, the chemistry works better between her and Cooper. Brosnan seems miscast but not to the extent that it ruins the film experience. McAdams is beautiful and pulls off her part quite well but it is Clarkson and Cooper who give the best performances. I'm also surprised that people have taken this film too seriously (to the point that they missed the humour which I thought was creatively done and hilarious). The element of drama is there but how could one miss the comedy? Sach's writing is superb and the direction is solid. I liked how the events unfold and Coopers's character's attempts to get what he wants and his surprise reaction towards the unexpected results. I find the title a little misleading. Yes, the film is about a 'dying' marriage and its complexities but the title is a little too vague and the film focuses on much more than marriage. The score gracefully brings the feel of the 40s. Overall, Sachs has made a clever unconventional black comedy in a period piece.