"Married Life" is based on the book "Five Roundabouts to Heaven" (published in the USA as "The Tender Poisoner") by the English novelist John Bingham. If you know and love the book, you will grimace a little at the happy ending that Hollywood has substituted for Bingham's grim finale. You will miss the ruthless examination of motive that Bingham applies to his characters, and you will be sorry that the wistful reminiscences of Peter Harding are absent. But the film is surprisingly faithful to the book in many areas. Much of the original dialogue is retained, Chris Cooper is a perfect visual image of Philip Bartels and Pierce Brosnan plays the scoundrel Harding to perfection. The two female stars also have an eerie likeness to Beatrice and Lorna in Bingham's original. There are good performances all round. The film is not as challenging as the book as everything works out well in the end. That is not in the nature of Bingham's work. The transposition of a very English story to an American setting also works reasonably well. I viewed it only in connection with work on John Bingham and, although it did not further my understanding of the book, the overall effect was pleasurable.Read full review
After entering into a passionate affair with a much younger woman, an unhappily married man resorts to murder as a means of sparing his frigid wife the humiliation of divorce in director Ira Sachs' suspenseful film noir. Set in the 1940s, Marriage tells the tale of Harry (Chris Cooper) -- a man whose faithful but emotionally distant wife (Patricia Clarkson) has become all but impossible to love. Smitten by the beautiful Kay (Rachel McAdams) but ultra-sensitive to the shame associated with divorce, Harry opts to poison his wife as a means of allowing the marriage to end with her pride still intact. Harry's scheme soon goes horribly awry, however, when after revealing the plan to his best friend, Richard (Pierce Brosnan), Richard too falls in love with the ethereal young beauty and sets into motion a cunning plan all his own. A serpentine tale of murderous deception, Marriage was co-scripted by director Sachs and screenwriter Oren Moverman.Read full review
Interesting, engaging story, good acting and not your every day picture. A good addition to my collection.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Great movie.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I love Pierce Brosnan and Rachel McAdams...so when I heard they were making a movie, I had to see it! I had anticipated seeing it on the big screen to my dismay it never showed on screen...so I waited to see it on DVD. I feel it is a good vintage style movie..if you like the 40's era, you will enjoy this!
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