ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

MBunge Married Life is the sweetest, most tender movie you'll ever see about a man who wants to kills his wife so he can be with his young girlfriend.In post-WWII America, Harry Allen and Richard Langley (Chris Cooper and Pierce Brosnan) are two old friends who couldn't be more different. Harry is happily married and romantic. Rich is a confirmed bachelor and cynic in the ways of love. Then one day, Rich hears something he never expected from his friend. Harry is having an affair. He still loves his wife Pat (Patricia Clarkson), but Harry has become frustrated and unfulfilled by Pat's determined unsentimentality. Harry doesn't want a good and loving companion, he wants a soul mate and he thinks he's found one in Kay Nesbitt (Rachel McAdams). Harry even introduces Kay to Rich, confident that his friend will keep his secret.The problem is that Harry still cares about Pat and can't stand the idea of the pain and embarrassment a divorce would cause her. T hings are further complicated when Rich finds himself drawn to Kay, and then discovers something about Pat that could solve Harry's problem. Rich turns that information to his benefit, however, without ever knowing that Harry has decided the only way out of his predicament is to kill Pat. Harry thinks it's the kindest thing he can do, but discovers that killing your wife is a much thornier problem than he expected, both practically and emotionally.If you just consider the plot, Married Life seems like a noirish thriller. It's really a relaxed and heartfelt meditation on the sanctity of marriage and how that union can prosper and satisfy, if you can protect it from the challenges of desire and impatience. It asks us to consider two people who get everything they need from each other, yet are willing to throw that away because they can't have what they want. You expect Harry to learn a lesson from his adulterous and murder-planning ways, but he doesn't learn the lesson you expected.The acting in this movie is quite good, if a bit low key. Chris Cooper does a nice job not letting Harry collapse into a caricature. Instead of letting Harry seem like a selfish hypocrite, Cooper shows us a man whose deep emotions are simply running away with him. Brosnan is also good as the more worldly Rich who secretly envies the peace and care of his friend's marriage. Rachel McAdams is exceptionally beautiful as Kay, but her performance is unexceptional. You can understand why Harry and Rich would fall in lust with her, but McAdams never gives the character enough to make us believe they would fall madly in love with her. But the star of the show is Patricia Clarkson. She is ceaselessly charming and endearing as Pat, even more so when we discover there's more to her than just being a devoted wife.Now, there are a couple of plot twists that are tough to swallow and the film appears to be in complete denial about the fact that McAdams looks young enough to be Cooper or Brosnan's daughter. It's one thing for "the other woman" to be much younger when the story is on the page, but when you see a couple of middle aged men enamored with a woman at least 20 years younger than they are, there are certain inescapable implications which flow from that dynamic. The age difference should say something about the relationships between Harry and Kay and Rich and Kay. Married Life, however, just cruises along without even vaguely acknowledging those implications.A lot of stories talk about love. Far fewer talk about marriage. Even less than that focus on marriage as it actually is. Married Life is a light, funny and appealing entry into that minuscule third category. If you've ever wanted to kill the person you love, definitely give it a look.

BernardoLima Married Life is set in 1949; the story opens into a picturesque, affluent suburb where Harry Allen (Chris Cooper) resides with his wife, Pat (Patricia Clarkson). But there's trouble brewing beyond the perfect picket fences. Harry has fallen deeply in love with a blonde beauty named Kay (Rachel McAdams). He confesses his secret to his longtime bachelor friend, Richard (Pierce Brosnan), and even introduces Richard to the lovely Kay. Unfortunately for Harry, Richard is instantly smitten, and makes up his mind that he will do whatever it takes to win Kay for himself. Harry, meanwhile, continues to plot ways to escape his marriage, though he fears leaving Pat will destroy her. He soon decides the most humane thing would be to dispose of her the old-fashioned way, with the aid of a little poison. While he debates on when to make his move, we learn that Pat actually has a few secrets of her own. Married Life is a very clever take on the trials and tribulations of marriage. It's a dramatic piece that shows what people do for love and the extreme lengths they go so that they can be with someone. One can never truly know what is going trough their partner's mind and people will always have secrets. The film has a very tense atmosphere and could be just as easily described as a psychological thriller. Visually, the film is stunning and the recreation of the era is mesmerizing. The set design is tremendous and so are the costumes. However, the film biggest strength relies undeniably in the extremely talented cast. Chris Cooper is terrific, specially in the second and third act of the film. Rachel Mcadams is adorable as usual and Pierce Brosnan is very charming. Patricia Clarkson also delivered a very solid performance. Overall, a beautifully crafted and highly entertaining film.7.5/10

blahblahblah12345 The lead cast was fantastic. Chris Cooper, whom I'm not very familiar with, was perfect, Patricia Clarkson as always, masters her supporting role, Rachel McAdams also shines in perhaps her strongest role to date. Pierce Brosnan may be forever plagued as James Bond, but he fit into this film very well and I was pleasantly surprised. Despite the strong performances, after seeing this film, I knew many people wouldn't have loved it as much as I did because many of the things I appreciated about the film isn't the type of stuff that would get a typical movie goer excited. Mainly, I adore irony and dark humor, which many people do not. Many people didn't find this film to be even a dark comedy and found it boring, but if you pick up on it this film is truly brilliant. I would recommend watching this film with an open mind and be prepared to think a little bit.

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.