Married Life (2008)

This melodramatic musing on the trials and tribulations of marriage features a small but talented ensemble cast that includes Patricia Clarkson, Chris Cooper, and Rachel McAdams. 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.

Cooper and Clarkson both give charming, multi-layered performances, expertly revealing the tortured emotions that hide behind their well-mannered 1940s façades. The film's recreation of the era is mesmerizing in its detail, with gorgeous costumes and an elegant set design. MARRIED LIFE has all the ingredients for Hitchcockian thrills, including a delicate blonde bombshell and a methodical murder plot. Yet the film daintily dances between black comedy and noir thriller, leading to a tidy, if rather anticlimactic end. The movie keeps you on your toes, but some might find themselves longing for a bigger payoff by the time the credits roll.