Married Life and the moral compass

I think I may have seen just one too many films at the TIFF about characters with a broken moral compass. Figures who believe that one despicable act is necessary in order to achieve their aims. Perhaps this is a reflection of the Iraq conflict on our everyday cinema?

In Married Life, Harry (Chris Cooper) has a problem. He's in love with his mistress but he can't quite figure out how to get his wife out of the picture. He consults with his best friend, Richard (Pierce Brosnan) and almost immediately, Richard is intent on betraying his friend for a chance with Harry's mistress instead. Thus, we're embroiled in a love quadrangle where everyone wants something just outside their reach and they each find ways to justify their actions for the sake of the results.

Married Life is a fun piece of film. The two male leads are excellent, as is Patricia Clarkson as the wife. (Rachel McAdams feels miscast as the mistress.) As the action draws on, we're continually guessing how things might turn out. But as a viewer who's seen four very similar films this year at the TIFF, I couldn't help but find the eventual conclusion predictable.

More irritating was the filmmaker's decision to use Bladerunner-like voiceovers throughout the picture. It always seems to me that the action should be clear without the narrator commentary, no?

The Filmcatcher crew caught up with the director. Watch their interview with him here: http://www.filmcatcher.com/festivals/Toronto_Film_Festival/day_9/23/

Posted on 09/13/07 by: garyc 09:54 AM