The Wicked Mind of the Married Man

Fickle pickle Felicity Porter (Felicity – own all four seasons, out now on DVD) was once told by her counselor that sometimes it is better to be kind than honest. This after she’d revealed she may have cheated on her boyfriend.

To understand why I said “may” you’d have to be a fan of the show, so go…become a fan.

But I digress.

That kind-honest pearl of wisdom resonated with me way back when I first heard it, and again when I read the synopsis of director Ira Sachs’ Married Life.

Chris Cooper stars as Harry, the center of the film, which earlier in March premiered at the Miami International Film Festival. Harry is a typical 1950s man: hard-working, caring…and conflicted.

Torn between two women, he has decided he must kill his wife, Pat (Patricia Clarkson), in order to be with his much-younger girlfriend, Kay (Rachael McAdams, pictured at left with Cooper).

For Harry, his situation is a “sometimes it is better to be kind than honest” situation. He loves Pat too much to let her suffer when he leaves her. Killing her down, he believes, is the best thing he can do for her.

When he shares his outrageous plan with his best friend Richard (Pierce Brosnan), he’s met with disbelief, natch, but also with curiosity…and with quiet encouragement. (Richard has meet Kay, and he has decided he’s going to let Harry go ahead with his plan because he now has fallen for her.)

Ah – a love square.

As the four are overwhelmed by their passions – oh yeah, the women have secrets, too – and they struggle to avoid hurting one another, Married Life stylishly captures an era, and reveals stirring commentary on the nature of marital commitment.

Cooper told me he was attracted to the role of Harry because he was trying not to repeat himself.

“I thought he was a very interesting character,” he said. “I thought there were aspects I thought no one would see. It’s kind of comforting – it’s the security blanket that I put over myself as far as an internal life for the character. I just hoped some of that might come through.”

For her part, the lovely Clarkson – I told her so, just as italicized as I wrote it, by the way – felt there was a true sense of mystery about all four characters.

“I think they are filled with intrigue and that’s what actually gives the movie greater suspense. They are truly multifaceted people. And they are real. You can almost reach out and touch Harry, and yet he’s trying to murder his wife for a very specific reason. It’s so interesting to me.”

There certainly is a sense of pathos to Married Life a grown-up audience will enjoy. The film is an intimate piece; like the relationships it portrays, it isn’t perfect, but it’s worth sticking by it.

On a related note, and this is FYI, natch: Cooper also told me when we met that he had just decided that morning he is next “going to do New York, I Love You with Robin Wright,” while Clarkson’s “gonna work with Scorsese. I’m going to do Shutter Island.”

My Rating ***

Photo: Sony Pictures Classics.