Married Life (Blu-ray)

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In retrospect, event he big twists in "Married Life" are things we've seen in those old films, but reinterpreted for the 2000s they take on a new look and feel. The stars do as they're supposed to and make you forget that they're actors. You're more concerned with human nature and the difference between someone thinking something and actually doing it, or struck by the games that males and females play with each other, sometimes without even knowing they're games.

Video:
As I said, "Married Life" is thick with atmosphere, and part of it is an intentional use of grain to add texture to the film. But it's just a slight bit of grain, even less than we normally get from an independent film. The colors are period-rich and the artificial aging tricks that were done in post-production serve well to make us believe the retro look. But in 1080p (AVC/MPEG-4 codec), it doesn't look overly processed, and that's good. I saw no noticeable artifacts, and the transfer to this BD-25 seems to have been a good one. "Married Life" is presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio.

Audio:
The audio was a nice surprise, maybe because the old noir movies that this one aped were always accompanied by a slightly scratchy mono track. Not so here. An English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 delivers a clear, precise audio that makes the dialogue sound pure and the ambient sounds that reinforce the period feel seem constant without being overpowering. The bass isn't thunderous, but that was never the case in old films. I was impressed by the featured soundtrack, which is also available in French. Subtitles are in English, English SDH, French, and Arabic.

Extras:
There are roughly 20 minutes of alternate endings (three, count 'em) that play with mood and illustrate how open the process apparently was, with resolution not necessarily the most important facet. The only other bonus feature is the requisite commentary track from director Sachs, who talks up the cast and shares his influences for those who care about such things. Some of them are predictable, while others surprise. Sachs is pretty businesslike as he talks about the film, but appears to have come to the table prepared to say something, rather than winging it. There's very little dead space, and very few times when he's not saying something of interest.

Bottom Line:
As a film that successfully merges two genres--detective-style thriller and triangular comedy--"Married Life" also evokes the late Forties with equal deftness. The stars do their thing, and while you never feel you're seeing something for the first time, what's done here is done well.

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