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Married Life
User Score
7.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8

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  1. JohnnyC.
    Apr 5, 2008
    10
    Like most great films, this is a complex piece that often takes time and consideration -- and a second viewing -- Ira Sachs is an amazing filmmaker... the cinematic artist of this generation.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. StephenS.
    Aug 3, 2008
    6
    If you reckon your partner’s been cheating, jolt them with this one. Ira Sachs’ debut neither aims for nor achieves greatness, but entertains well with its pleasing production design and measured but not unexpected plot turnings. Contrary to expectations, I thought Brosnan and McAdams were better served by their roles than Cooper and Clarkson. Cooper looks less well suited then he was in Breach, Clarkson doesn’t quite flow into the character as you would expect her to.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. ChadS.
    Mar 21, 2008
    6
    Call Kay(Rachel McAdams) the accidental femme-fatale. With that head of tightly-wounded platinum blonde hair, no matter how discreetly she enters the restaurant, in which two men sit; one married, one not, Kay can't help but cause a commotion. But Kay is depressed. Despite having the appearance of a sexually voracious woman who would drive an ice pick through a man's neck, she's actually a nice girl. She's looking for love, not money, which makes "Married Life" an atypical film noir. For starters, Harry(Chris Cooper) has a legitimate claim on his wife's life without ever knowing it. He almost commits a crime of incubating passion. What is going through Harry's mind when he looks outside the window of his bedroom? This is when the narrative in "Married Life" takes a wrong turn. It doesn't capitalize on the irony of the moment. Another matter to keep in mind is how the narrator(Pierce Brosnan) influences our feelings about Harry. Everything that could possibly go wrong for the protagonist, goes wrong, but "Married Life" breaks this most basic of tenets in film noir, when it confuses Richard's biased opinion about Harry(Richard justifies his friend's murderous intentions) with the cold, hard fact that he wanted his wife dead. Richard is a fallible narrator. Since he put a knife in his best friend's heart, he doesn't want to assasinate his character, too. The narration conspires with the narrator to make Pat look like the bad person. That's why "Married Life" goes out with a whimper, instead of a bang.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  4. JayH.
    Aug 25, 2008
    7
    Terrific cast, especially Chris Cooper and Patricia Clarkson. Compelling story, well directed. Good costumer and art direction, great score. Very interesting plot that held my interest throughout.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. Lopez17
    Aug 11, 2010
    7
    Have you ever lied to someone you loved? Have you ever told them something about yourself wasn't true? Have you ever told them that you were working late when in reality you were not? Ira Sachs black comedy about marital woes and deception set against the backdrop of 1940's society is a bleak, smart and audaciously witty dramedy that leaves little to the imagination as it leads you down the road of murder most foul and deception most devious that plays better than it should and works better than you would ever expect. It is a story that an older generation can relate too as a younger one will overlook the film as dull and uninteresting. Let me tell you as a younger generation I completely sympathized and liked the characters even if they were all lying to each other it is fun to watch them skirt around the truth as they plot and scheme against one another in this twisted tale of love gone badly. Ira Sachs' "Married Life" is just as the title suggest it is about married life and the trials and tribulations that a married couple go through everyday the ups and downs Ira Sachs' blunt dramedy doesn't let you off the hook easy when it comes to theses themes but you won't shy away if that's what you think. It is very easy on the eyes, but as I said before most of the elder generation may find this film hard to watch as someone in their life has been cheated on or they themselves been cheated. it's a touchy subject believe me, but here that is not the case it's more about how love can easily fall apart as easily as it can be built, how the choices we make can affect the ones we love and how sometimes when we least expect it you fall in love with the last person you would expect. Ira Sachs shows us suburban life in the 40's that we seldom see today his film is a homage to the dark screwball comedies of the golden era and also a tribute to film noir with its stark lighting, it's wickedly sharp narrative and dialogue and gloomy undertones that give it that old time feel. What makes a film special is heart if a film has no heart it has no soul if a film has no soul it has no character and if a film has no character than what is it? I'll tell you nothing more than people walking around talking lines that should mean something and should leave a lasting effect, while "Married Life" doesn't leave a lasting impression on audiences it gives them a zany and quirky look into the love lives of four very normal yet strange individuals. I liked the atmosphere, I liked the style of the film how it worked but what I liked most of all was the narration by Pierce Brosnan it wasn't just about him but also about Harry(Chris Cooper) and his wife Pat(Patricia Clarkson). The narration doe not leave you out in the cold or leave you without answers to your questions and that to me is a major accomplishment of this film and one of the key highlights of the story and plot. What I did not like, and to me what almost undid all of this films accomplishment was the uneven pace if a little more even it would have been a great movie instead of good. Ira Sachs' "Married Life  may not impress all but it does impress with it's wit and charm and intelligent, well written dialogue that flows like water down a riverbed it just works. What also works about this film are the actors, the actors play off each other and the film's story beautifully making "Married Life" one of the more charming films you can seen in your spare time grant it this film was severely overlooked and immensely underrated when it was released back in 2008. While summer blockbusters like "Iron Man,  "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the crystal Skull" and "The Dark Knight  were dominating the box-office this film quietly made its run in limited release where few heard of it and seldom saw. I liked this film more than I thought I would and from what I saw I thought it would be better than what it was but for what it was it was fantastic and I am proud to say I very much enjoyed it.… Expand
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
65 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. Variety
    Reviewed by: Todd McCarthy
    70
    The tone, casting and material form a less-than-perfect match in Married Life, a period domestic drama that never quite decides if it wants to be a credible marital study, a noirish meller or a sly comedy.
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  2. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    80
    In Married Life, Ira Sachs aims a bit lower than Green but obliterates his target: The funny, the scary, the campy, the sad--they're all splendidly of a piece.
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  3. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Ella Taylor
    60
    Though the imprint of Douglas Sirk is all over Sachs's homage to old movies about restless men in bad suits and untrustworthy women in lovely frocks, his immediate reference point is clearly Haynes's "Far From Heaven."
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