Pierce Brosnan Movie:

		List Price: $38.96		Label: Sony Pictures Salesrank: 66823 Released: September 2, 2008
		Our Price: $13.24
		Used Price: $9.20
		MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Media: Blu-ray

Editorial Review:
A strong blend of suspense, star-crossed romance and wry comedy of manners, Married Life is an unconventional human drama about the irresistible power and utter madness of love. Harry (Chris Cooper) decides he must kill his wife Pat (Patricia Clarkson) because he loves her too much to let her suffer when he leaves her. Harry and his much younger girlfriend Kay (Rachel McAdams) are head over heels in love but his best friend Richard (Pierce Brosnan) wants to win Kay for himself. As Harry implements his awkward plan for murdering his wife, the other characters are occupied with their own deceptions. Like Harry, they are overwhelmed by their passions, but still struggle to avoid hurting others. Married Life is an uncommonly adult film that surprises and confounds expectations. While it plays with mystery and intrigue, its ultimate concern is: What is Married Life? In its sly way, Married Life poses perceptive questions about the seasonal discontents and unforeseen joys of of all long-term relationships.

Description of Married Life (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray]:
Far too many period productions look right, but feel wrong. Set in 1949, Married Life doesn't just bring the post-war era to vivid life with cigarettes and cocktails aplenty; it even plays like a product of the time. In that respect, it calls to mind AMC's Mad Men, except Ira Sachs (Forty Shades of Blue) takes a lighter tone towards domestic disharmony. In this well-scrubbed suburban world, middle-class wives, like Pat (Patricia Clarkson), build their lives around their husbands. Pat and Harry (Chris Cooper) seem happy, but Harry confesses to his pal, Richard (narrator Pierce Brosnan), that the spark is gone. He plans to leave Pat for vibrant young war widow Kay (Rachel McAdams in a role that recalls The Notebook). Once Richard, a notorious ladies man, gets a gander at the platinum blonde, he secretly sets out to win her affections, while Harry plots to take Pat out of the picture. Married Life almost simulates one of Alfred Hitchcock’s pessimistic disquisitions on matrimony, yet Harry and Richard seek less hurtful means to achieve their goals. Though women's lib has yet to hit the suburbs, Pat and Kay harbor desires of their own, and the best-laid plans soon go awry. Though Kay could use further development, this ensemble hums along almost as harmoniously as the quartet in Starting Out in the Evening. Along with co-writer Oren Moverman (I'm Not There), Sachs transforms John Bingham’s 1953 novel, Five Roundabouts to Heaven, into an insightful treatise on love, marriage, and fidelity. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Married Life (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray] Reviews:
About the blu-ray
2009-02-25 - I thought the image quality was outstanding here. I love period movies and blu-ray is a great way to watch them, especially when they so attractivelly recreate the period, as in this movie.



"Did We Build Our Happiness On The Unhappiness of Others...?"
2009-01-25 - Name-checking the top grade cast in "Married Life" - a sort of 40's/50's film noir tale of marital shenanigans - will be enough to draw most movie lovers in. And while Patricia Clarkson and Rachel McAdams are typically lovely, deep and believable in their roles, it's the two men - Pierce Brosnan and Chris Cooper - who really get to shine.

Its directed by IRA SACHS and co-adapted by him and ORAN MOVERMAN from the 1953 book by JOHN BINGHAM called "Five Roundabouts To Heaven".

Narrated by Richard (Brosnan's character), you just know you're going to enjoy this story when you hear him casually say, "I always thought marriage was a mild kind of illness...like the Flu or Chicken Pox...to which I was safely immune". Brosnan's tone throughout the narration changes - at first it's sly and laidback and suave - so you're not sure if he's the good guy or the bad guy - or both - and nor do you want to know - because in this clever and beautifully revealing film, the finding out is half the fun...

And who out there in movie land doesn't want to see a film with Chris Cooper in it? Harry (Cooper's character) is in a stagnating but not entirely loveless marriage to Pat (Clarkson). Then along comes the young, alive and beautiful Kay (McAdams) who stirs Harry's very soul - but alas also grabs the loins of the caddish Richard (Brosnan) - his lifetime buddy and pal. Friendships are tested, plots are formed and everyone drinks loads of scotch and smokes acres of cigarettes and acts as if nothing is wrong...

The boys as you can imagine - given meaty material - are great. Warm, cold, up, down - Cooper layers his performance - and he slyly fools you too by doing so. Brosnan is still great eye-candy and effortlessly charming - caddish one moment - genuine the next - he plays his character both ways - and does it very, very well. McAdams is enough to make most grown men weak at the knees and Patricia Clarkson - who probably has the least likeable of roles - makes you empathize with her character - see her as a real person - a great performance from a genuine class act. In fact, you can 'feel' how all the actors rise to the evolving story - and you suspect they thoroughly enjoyed working off each other while making this intelligently written little gem.

Visually - it's period Americana - were in MAD MEN territory here. "Married Life" is gorgeous to look at - and very "Shawshank" in places on the outdoor scenes - an absolute blast to view on Blu Ray.

The real unexpected pleasure, however, comes in 3 fully realised Alternate Endings that are almost as enjoyable as the entire movie - and without spoiling it - they take the story to other places - and brilliantly too. Brosnan - in particular - is exceptionally good.

There's a commentary by director and co-script writer Ira Sachs, but it's a damn shame there isn't an on-set segment - because here's actors and a movie you admire - and it would also have been just great to get the writer and director's perspective in interview outside of listening to the entire commentary.

Not a masterpiece for sure, but a great little watch nonetheless and one that deserves your attention.

"Did We Build Our Happiness On The Unhappiness of Others...?" Brosnan asks towards the end of his voice over - watch this 'classy' little noir thriller to find out...

Married Life - Blu-ray Info
2009-01-24 - Version: U.S.A / Sony / Region A, B, C
MPEG-4 AVC BD-50 / AACS / High Profile 4.1
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Running time: 1:30:52
Movie size: 26,09 GB
Disc size: 31,24 GB
Total bit rate: 38.29 Mbps
Average video bit rate: 27.28 Mbps
Number of chapters: 16
Subtitles: English SDH, English, Arabic, French

Dolby TrueHD Audio English 2904 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 2904 kbps / 24-bit (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)
Dolby TrueHD Audio French 2654 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 2654 kbps / 24-bit (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / Dolby Surround

#Deleted Scenes: Alternate Endings (SD - 20m:16s)
#Theatrical Trailer (HD 2m:4s)
#HD Previews
#Audio Commentary
#BD-Live enabled

What is the point of this movie?
2008-09-22 - Married life feels like an episode of Alfred Hitchcock presents that is an hour too long, with a fake, unrealistic happy ending tacked on as well. Really, what is the point of this movie?

Interesting, though not necessarily what you'd expect
2008-09-10 - Given the general write-up of this film and some review comments I've seen elsewhere, I expected this film to be some what different than it turned out to be. Perhaps more like one of the alternate endings on the disc, perhaps not. Regardless, I'd have to say it wasn't exactly what seemed to be promised, but was still interesting to say the least.

Harry (Chris Cooper) is in a loveless marriage (at least from his wife's side) to Pat (Patricia Clarkson), but that isn't a problem as Harry has found the beautiful Kay (Rachel McAdams) and intends to be with her and live happily ever after, if only he can find a way to split with his wife without breaking her heart. Richard (Pierce Brosnan) knows of Harry and Kay's relationship because he's Harry's best friend and Harry has told him of his desires and his relationship to the lovely Kay. Unfortunately for Harry, Richard is a ladies man and he just can't let Harry have such a beauty for himself even if he is a best friend.

With that convuluted relationship between the characters, and a few other bumps in the road introduced along the way you'd think that a movie that promises suspense and intrique would perhaps play out in a certain manner. Ah, but such expectations are not necessarily what you'll get from this film.

Without spoiling the plot, suffice it to say again that what you expect and what you'll get from this film are not necessarily going to agree, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't watch the film. Not at all. Do watch the film for the character studies, for the attention to detail on life in the period that is covered, for the relationships and interactions between the characters and oh, yeah, also for the story that is delivered.

The performances from the stars are good. Chris Cooper does very well here, but if you are familiar with his work you know that could be said of just about any role you find him in. Brosnan does quite well as a bit of a scoundrel, and Clarkson does quite well in her role here too. McAdams seems a bit young for someone that would be interested in Cooper's character, but it's quite easy to see why anyone would be interested in and tempted by her.

A quick comment about the film on Blu-ray: my own take on the picture quality here is that the transfer is soft and not as sharp or well defined as one might expect on high-def media. I have not seen this film in theatres so I can't say for sure that this wasn't the look that the director was going for, but I'd expect that there'd be more details in the faces of the stars here and unfortunately that wasn't the case. Images in the background were somewhat blurred and easily lost and that normally isn't the case with most content on Blu-ray or seen in high definition.

I've rated this one a middle of the road 3 stars. Some may find it closer to 5 star material, while others wonder what was the point and where did the 90 minutes (give or take) that they used to watch the film go. Again, not necessarily something that would seem to have a big following, and much more likely to be a film that is somewhat quickly watched and forgotten. Of course that's just my own opinion, and yours may be different. If so, please feel free to leave a comment or write your own review here to help others that may be interested in seeing this film but would like more information and opinions before doing so.