"Married Life" works, 'Miss Pettigrew' doesn't

By PHILIP WUNTCH
Film Critic Emeritus
Two current movies are soaked in atmosphere, and one almost drowns in it.

"MARRIAGE" MAYHEM: To say that "Married Life" has a provocative premise would be an understatement. An ostensibly happy husband plots his wife's murder to spare her the humiliation of a divorce.

The film is a wry, dry and frequently intriguing film-noir comedy. But there's a downside. Director/co-writer Ira Sachs definitely knows what he's doing, and so does the audience. Camera angles and scene compositions seem too carefully calculated. Despite clever, unexpected plot twists, the film lacks spontaneity.

However, "Married Life" boasts an abundance of upsides. These include droll dialog, outstanding performances and delicious ambiance. The unconventional plot occurs in 1949, and the automobiles, office buildings, home furnishings, hairstyles, clothes and jewelry perfectly accent the time frame. Hey, there's even a single-screen movie theater for those of us lucky enough to remember such a relic.

More important is the skill with which Sachs captures the era's moral hypocrisy. The film's depiction of post-World War II suburban mores echoes that of Stanley Kubrick's "Lolita" although without the potent Kubrick sting.

Chris Cooper plays the pivotal character of morally conflicted Harry. He likes his wife Pat (Patricia Clarkson) but adores his mistress Kay (Rachel McAdams), a young war widow who lives near their weekend cabin. Besides, Pat equates love with sex and can't get enough, whereas Harry, poor fellow, frequently comes home exhausted. He wearily reasons that poison would be kinder than seeking a divorce.

Harry makes the mistake of introducing Kay to longtime friend Richard (Pierce Brosnan), to whom he confides almost everything. Richard, a charmingly dissolute bachelor, falls under the spell of Kay's speckled face and winsome smile. He convinces himself that the morally upright solution would be to steal Kay from Harry, and that's only the first of a series of complications.

The performances are superb. Without pleading for our sympathy, Cooper registers every inch of Harry's pain. Brosnan, showing his age to just the right extent, has wicked fun providing the film's unusual moral center. The marvelous Clarkson captures each nuance of Pat's chameleon character, while McAdams plays the sometimes enigmatic Kay with the right balance of innocence and guile. All four provide expert silent reactions and small, revealing gestures. And with this storyline, there's plenty of reaction shots.

"Married Life" is disturbing and thought-provoking. And, more often than not, a lot of fun.

"PETTIGREW" PROBLEMS: Like "Married Life" but with much less success, "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" attempts to recreate the mood of the films that were popular during the era it illustrates.

Ravishingly evoking 1930s London, the madcap comedy wannabe is great to look at. It's even great to listen to, but with one important qualification. Concentrate on the nostalgic soundtrack instead of the lame dialog.

The movie wastes several first-rate actresses as it feebly strives for screwball effect. It's all about one day in the previously unexciting life of Guinevere Pettigrew, played by Frances McDormand as a humorless Mary Poppins.

The unemployed Miss Pettigrew bluffs her way into a job as Delysia Lafosse's social secretary. Delysia, played by Amy Adams, is a scatterbrained aspiring actress, kept by one man while fancying herself in love with at least two others. Within 24 hours, Miss Pettigrew solves everyone's problems, including her own. In the unlikely event of a sequel, even Miss Pettigrew will no longer be a "Miss."

Obviously, the film is buried in cliches. But the filmmakers apparently hope that we'll find reassurance in the cliches and welcome them like old friends. Sorry, but it doesn't work. The film's pace alternates between plodding and frantic and never finds the right tone. The result is less an old friend than a boring old relative.

McDormand, of course, can deliver a quip with comic ease, but the quips lack a zest that not even McDormand can provide. Adams, so memorable in "Junebug," has the more difficult job. She strains for the captivating style of such dizzy heroines as Katharine Hepburn in "Bringing Up Baby" and Carole Lombard in "My Man Godfrey." But when playing this type of dizziness, there's a thin line between captivating and annoying. Adams fails to navigate that line gracefully.

Also wasted is Shirley Henderson, fondly remembered from the underrated "Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself." She's on target as Delysia's cunning rival, but it's a one-note role.

There's little suspense regarding which eligible male will win Delysia's hand with assistance from matchmaker Pettigrew. Comic momentum is not this movie's strong point.