Saturday, March 29, 2008

'Married Life' movie

Patricia Clarkson and Chris Cooper live the Married Life.

Watch the trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/married-life/31060/main

Married Life is a small, low-keyed film that may not make it to your neighborhood theater. We saw it at a small theater that specializes in showing independent and foreign movies. Although the four leads are well known for being in popular movies, their good work here won't make this charming film a blockbuster. If you like plot twists and turns that challenge your expectations, this sly movie is for you. When it's over, you'll be thinking about the motives behind certain events and why some didn't happen the way you would have expected.
   The movie takes place in 1949, the year of my birth and seemed faithful in decor, costumes, and hair styles for that era. Chris Cooper plays a husband who's married to Patricia Clarkson but wants to be with his younger mistress Rachel McAdams. Pierce Brosnan portrays Cooper and Clarkson's best friend and falls for McAdams. Who shall finally be with whom is what moves the plot along to its ending. Brosnan's narration adds details to the story's leisurely pacing as it fills in gaps about character motivation without revealing too much.
    Married Life reminded me of a film noir  classic of that period but not as dark and heavy minus an obviously suspenseful music score.  This is part of its appeal as you first think it might be that kind of movie with its voiceover and how the plot turns to murder. How it's all resolved is what keeps you interested. I would label this a performance driven film that slowly pulls you into the plot. For a perceptive review, read: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080313/REVIEWS/946422508

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