Millers in Marriage

The whole thing is a well-acted descent into the depressively mundane, and 117 minutes of one banal struggle after another was not my cup of tea.

Mildness reigns and indifference blooms. What calls out to be well seasoned — a dish with bits that are scorched and raw — is instead merely a tepid porridge.

“Millers in Marriage” is all about how one navigates the second extended act of one’s adult life.

The problem with this movie is not that the characters are comfortable. The problem is that none of them seem to realize how comfortable they are, and the movie rarely does, either.

“Millers in Marriage” is unapologetic about it being focused on the woes of rich folk, but at least it is self-aware as it plunges into awkward relationship issues that often pertain to empty nesters and will likely strike a chord for so many.

Its characters may be stressed out, but its rhythms are leisurely, the skill of the actors mostly countering the weaknesses in the script.

This is a film by the talented, pleased-to-be-aimless Edward Burns, a meandering stroll on Central Park West where we aren’t even afforded the excitement of getting mugged.

Millers captures a latter stage of adulthood that might only make sense to those who have already experienced it, but the concept of never settling for anything less than one believes they deserve is a message that will resonate across generations.

If there had been more hope or a chance for the characters to grow and change, it would have been a much more engaging and satisfying story.

The cast skillfully transcends the leaden screenplay, holding the drama together, if only barely. Kudos to composer Andrea Vanzo for a tensive, beautiful piano score that enhances and elevates the story.