Being married isn’t easy – so I’m told. I can only imagine that, just as in any close relationship, the urge to, say, poisoning someone out of the desire to be rid of them without having to emotionally hurt them can sometimes be strong. Yes, the ominously titled Married Life is about better adultery through wifeicide. And though it may, at times be kind of a bummer, Married Life is a compelling character drama about fidelity, honesty and emotional comfort against the backdrop of post-World War II America. Sound heady? Well, it isn’t really, for you just might be too swept up in the performances to see anything else.

The film centres on four people: executive Harry (Chris Cooper), his best friend Richard (Pierce Brosnan), his wife Pat (Patricia Clarkson) and his mistress Kay (Rachel McAdams). Harry and Pat live a comfortable life of routine; boring but safe. But Harry’s secret is that he’s having an affair with widower Kay, whom he says makes him happier than he’s ever been before. Harry shares this information with Richard who he asks to keep Kay company while he’s off on his business trips. Unfortunately for Harry, Richard begins to fall for Kay himself and she just might be thinking about reciprocating.

Married Life works as a bizarre mix of character drama, crime noir and black comedy; kind of like Far From Heaven meets Arsenic and Old Lace. Regardless of the exact nature of the tone, it works well because of filmmaker Ira Sachs’ focus on character development and moral intrigue. The film is paced in a very deliberate and patient manner, letting the story wait until its good and ready deliver the really potent moments of conflict. From production design to music, the movie looks and sounds authentic and instantly sets one in the mindset of the era.

But obviously it comes down to acting. Brosnan is appropriately slimy and a touch smarmy playing the affirmed bachelor Richard, he approaches the stealing of his friends mistress in an analytical manner yet is still able to make it sound like he’s doing Harry a favour. As Harry, Cooper plays up the point of view that he’s more in love with the fantasy of Kay than he is actually in love with Kay. What’s interesting is that Harry and Pat’s marriage isn’t really that bad, and all Harry was to do is put in a slight effort in order to rekindle the romance.

On the female side, the very underrated Clarkson is luminescent as Pat, the apparently spurned wife. Clarkson is low-key and nuanced, a so-called “proper” woman that’s able to hide her feelings and her secrets well; there’s a twist involving Pat about halfway through and looking back at Clarkson’s signals up to that point it makes you wonder why you didn’t catch on. Finally, there’s McAdams, who’s the weakest link out of the four but is still good enough to portray Kay’s alluring mix of innocence and sex appeal.

Such a finally crafted, small character drama doesn’t come along to often. Compelling, intriguing and just a little bit saucy, Married Life is a fascinating slice of American life.