In Queensland cinemas Thursday July 24 [M]

Director: Ira Sachs

Runtime: 90mins

Harry (Chris Cooper) is a stiff, repressed, 1940s American male. He’s not happy in his marriage to Pat (Patricia Clarkson). In fact, so unhappy is Harry, that he’s considering killing his wife rather than putting her through the pain of divorce.

What’s led Harry to this point is his affair with the younger, much more glamorous, Kay (Rachel McAdams). This passionate relationship has reinforced for Harry everything that his marriage lacks, and he really, really wants out.

Ira Sachs’s film noir Married Life opens with the voiceover narration of Harry’s confidant, Richard(Pierce Brosnan), as the two meet in a classy restaurant for lunch. Harry tells Richard he’s leaving his wife for blonde bombshell Kay, who arrives shortly thereafter, and instantly captures Richard’s heart. This sets the stage for a tightly paced series of mistakes and betrayals that, despite the cast’s downplayed performance, keeps the film moving at a fairly invigorating speed.The sets, lighting, and costume design are immediately striking – this is a great looking film, with every colourful detail adding to the audience’s submersion within the early post-war period.

But I couldn’t help feeling, as I watched this film, thatwhat I was getting was essentially a telemovie script dressed up with expensive production design and A-list Hollywood actors. Which is surprising, because the script is based on John Bingham’s classic crime novel, Five Roundabouts To Heaven. The film, though, seems pitched atthe 50+ set who like a ‘good story’ when they choose a weekday rental down attheir local video library. And by ‘good story’ I mean something in the style of, say, a nicely packed, self-contained episode of CSI. Which is fine. But it’s not for everybody, by any means.

Chris Cooper, of course, is excellent. Pierce Brosnan, unfortunately, is a source of irritation; his martini-sipping, cigarette smoking Richard is smart, smug and shallow. At times his over-stylized smoking habit becomes a parody of itself – on one occasion, while at a diner with Kay,he orders pie and immediately lights up, which to me makes no sense at all. His voiceover narration, which becomes annoying within the first five minutes, continues throughout the duration of the film. It comes across as somewhat patronising of the audience, implying they can’t perceive the events presented before them, or the feelings of the characters, for themselves. It’sunnecessary and drains the film of much of its darker edge, instilling a quaintness that, again, may placate older, more conservative audiences.

Despite these complaints, Married Life is an enjoyable film, but not particularly memorable.

***½

ADAM DODD

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