Dir: Ira Sachs, US, 2007. 90mins
Ira Sachs's new film Married Life commences with wonderfully droll cartoon-like credits that simultaneously amuse with their archness and efficiently evoke the 1940s era in which the film is set. Like the film as a whole, however, they promise a great deal that is, alas, never finally delivered.

Despite the presence of such acting luminaries as Chris Cooper, Pierce Brosnan, and Patricia Clarkson, as well as generally adept and crisp direction, the film is hampered by a plodding and unimaginative script whose situations are pedestrian and whose dialogue is much less sparkling than the filmmakers appear to think it is. After a Toronto debut MGM is handling the film in the US for a 2008 release through its distribution deal with Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, and while domestic box office receipts won't be substantial, an afterlife may be found on DVD and in television sales around the world.

We first hear Rich (Brosnan), in voiceover, recounting the tale, set in 1949, of his good friend, the ultra respectable businessman Harry Allen (Cooper). It seems that while Rich is known as the playboy, Harry has begun dabbling on the side himself and fallen head over heels in love with the gorgeous Kay (McAdams). Determined to achieve 'complete happiness' with Kay, Harry wants to leave his wife Pat (Clarkson), but is afraid of the devastating effect the news will have on her. Meanwhile, she has a few tricks up her own sleeve, and Rich, after having met the divine Kay, sets his cap for her. Love blossoms and is dashed, murder plots are hatched and foiled, and some people end up with different people than they started out with.

It's clear that director Sachs thinks he's making the kind of sprightly and arch comedy of manners that Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn might have starred in, but this film falls far short of that aspiration. Time after time, the script laboriously puts every piece in place, just so, for a marvelous turn of events -- but it never happens. Similarly, the self-consciously arch, carefully-wrought dialogue never pays off with devilish ironies or cleverly cutting and witty put-downs. On a more mundane level, character motivation is never as clear as one would like, and the use of Brosnan's voiceover narration is sporadic at best and eventually comes to seem merely functional, when the narrative's in a jam.

Though some might not care for it, actually the best thing about the film just very well may be the great care the filmmakers took to evoke its era. It's all totally artificial-looking, of course, but that's precisely what it should be.

Sachs occasionally takes a half-hearted stab at establishing some kind of moral tone, but the effort is never followed up on, which is probably appropriate for a film of this nature. The attempt at a mixture of tones is refreshing and to be applauded, but sometimes the gears grind during the shifts.

Production companies/backers
Anonymous Content (US)
Sidney Kimmel Entertainment (US)
Firm Films (US)

US Distribution
MGM
+1 (310) 777 8818

Producers
Sidney Kimmel
Jawal Nga
Steve Golin
Ira Sachs

Screenplay
Ira Sachs
Oren Moverman
based on the book 'Five Roundabouts to Heaven' by John Bingham

Editing
Affonso Goncalves

Production Designer
Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski

Cinematography
Peter Deming

Cast
Pierce Brosnan
Chris Cooper
Patricia Clarkson
Rachel McAdams

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