'Married' for life

Think being married today is complicated? Try getting hitched in the late 1940s, an era when divorce was simply not what respectable people considered unless under dire circumstances.

The new period drama "Married Life" takes that conceit and runs with it, rather brilliantly I might add. Chris Cooper plays Harry, a married man who falls hard for a pretty widow (Rachel McAdams). But how can he free himself of his marital bonds without crushing his innocent wife, Pat (Patricia Clarkson) to whom sex is the only fuel for their loveless bond?

Harry decides to kill her - to spare her the pain and humiliation of divorce, of course. Complicating matters is Harry's best pal, Richard (Pierce Brosnan, terrific once more), who out of passion, competitiveness or plot contrivance falls for Harry's new girl.

What follows isn't always as smooth as director Ira Sachs envisions, but it's crisply acted and original through and through.

The period garb, music and mores add texture without overwhelming the story, and the resolution even boasts a bit of romance to it. Not a bad trick given the painful setup.

(Photo: Rachel McAdams and Chris Cooper follow director Ira Sachs' lead on the set of "Married Life")