Married Life

Set in 1949, this movie, with its deep cast, is a bit of a shape shifter. It's set up like a film noir but is it? It's about romance at the same time it's about infidelity at the same time it's about murder.

Chris Cooper, the chameleon, plays Harry Allen, the oh-so respectable businessman in what seems a successful marriage who admits an affair to his best friend, Richard the philanderer (Pierce Brosnan). Richard immediately resolves to take the lovely Kay (Rachel McAdams) from Harry while Harry is so conflicting about hurting his faithful wife, Pat (Patricia Clarkson) that he resolves to kill her to spare her the pain of divorce. But Pat has some surprises of her own.

For all this passion and intrigue, the movie never loses its head or gets overly emotional and yet, left me feeling hopeful.

I recommend it.