6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.4 |
Harry decides he must kill his wife Pat because he loves her too much to let her suffer when he leaves. Harry and his much-younger girlfriend Kay are head over heels in love, but his best friend Richard wants to win Kay for himself. As Harry implements his awkward plans for murdering his wife, the other characters are occupied with their own deceptions. Like Harry, they are overwhelmed by their passion, but struggle to avoid hurting others.
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper, Rachel McAdams, Patricia Clarkson, David WenhamRomance | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Arabic
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
I always thought marriage was a mild kind of illness, like the flu or chicken pox, to which I
was
safely immune.
Married Life is a technically sound motion picture with shades of several genres
intertwined
into a classic "who's cheatin' who?" tale but with a noir twist, all of which would make for an
interesting short.
Spread to a 90 minute movie, however, it becomes a bloated snoozer. The first half of the movie
is
entertaining and sure to pique curiosity, but once the thrill of the clever ideas that make up its
plot
wear out their welcome and audiences continually find themselves two or three steps ahead of
the action, the
luster quickly vanishes and the only mystery that remains is who in the audience will stay awake
through the
entire
movie.
This fork may do the job just as well as that powder...
Married Life comes to Blu-ray with a fine looking 1080p, 1.85:1 transfer. The transfer is far better than average, sporting excellent detail and texture. The tie Richard wears at the beginning of the movie looks as real and lifelike as if it were on the the rack or on a mannequin at the local men's store and you were looking at it in real life. Clothing in general is a star of the movie, and the finer subtleties of the fabrics and the flow of the garments shine under the Blu-ray spotlight. Flesh tones veer to the red rather than the natural, but this fits in with the specific look of the movie as a whole. The film's colors are strong but not vibrant, slightly tinted by a sepia tone that gives the movie that old-fashioned feel. Black levels are strong and natural with no artificial brightening or gray tints to them, but shadow detail is sometimes less than ideal. Generally sharp and defined, there are a few instances where the transfer becomes soft in medium-wide shots, such as those featuring dense foliage on the sides of a country road. Grain is visible over the entirety of the image but lends a nice balance to the look of the film and the time and place depicted therein. Married Life looks great on Blu-ray, and this video transfer is the disc's strong suit.
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack on Married Life is fine, but far from exhilarating. Given the subject material, however, one should not expect a whiz-bang surround sound experience or window-shattering lows. The audio is front heavy, but clean. The opening music has a vintage sound to it not only in style but in presentation. It's nice and clear, but with a hint of a rough edge that fits in well with the old fashioned visuals it accompanies. Dialogue occasionally has to work hard to be heard clearly over music, but there are no issues with volume or clarity when music does not accompany it. We occasionally hear some decent atmospherics, such as in chapter four when Richard visits Kay. We can hear birds chirping outside and other niceties, but they all emanate from the front soundstage, leaving the rear silent. The subsequent sequence featuring Richard and Kay in a diner also features good atmospherics, such as a song playing in the left front speaker or the clanking of silverware off to the side, but again, the rears remain inactive. Even the more lively date montage in chapter nine is very front-heavy. The lack of a distinct surround presence is not necessarily a hinderance to the presentation of the film. Surrounds do pop up on occasion, such as during a brief thunderstorm scene in chapter 13. The subwoofer also takes the day off with this one. All things considered, Married Life features just the kind of soundtrack one would expect from a movie such as this one, and as such it neither ranks high nor low on the scale of best to worst soundtracks.
Married Life arrives on Blu-ray with a paltry selection of bonus materials. This set is headlined by a commentary track featuring co-writer/director Ira Sachs. Engaging, Sachs delves passionately into various aspects of the film, both the technical and the metaphorical. Sachs offers information that focuses on the casting of the film, the influence of the original novel on which the film is based (Five Roundabouts to Heaven by John Bingham, including his stint with the British MI-5 and how his background as a spy helped to shape the characters in the film), the Hitchcock-ian humor that finds its way into the story, the re-dressing of sets for subsequent shots, and so much more. Listening to Sachs discuss the film is a more enjoyable experience than watching the film itself, and his comments did make me want to re-visit the movie in the future with a different take on the film in mind. Three alternate endings (480p, 20:16) with optional commentary by Ira Sachs are included. The film's original theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:04) and additional 1080p trailers for Hancock, Persepolis, CJ7, The Band's Visit, The Jane Austen Book Club, Steep, Across the Universe, and The Company are included. Finally, this disc is BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) equipped, and accessing the feature takes viewers to Sony's standard page featuring trailers, a FAQ, a survey, and more.
Married Life features a good premise, great acting, and a pleasing atmosphere, but it fails as entertainment or thought-provoking cinema. It tries hard to be many things, from drama to social commentary, but never settles into a groove and begins to meander by the film's final act. Sony's Blu-ray presentation, like the movie, is nothing to brag about. Featuring solid video quality, a bland but acceptable soundtrack, and precious few extras, the disc is only worth buying for the most ardent admirers of the film. For everyone else, Married Life is probably best enjoyed as a rental.
2016
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