Remember when Madonna's hubby, Guy Ritchie, used to look happy?

Madonna's husband Guy Ritchie’s sullen red carpet face at the Cannes Film Festival didn't exactly stop the rumors that their marriage is on the rocks.

Many observers noted Guy's perpetually glum look and the lack of any physical affection between the high-powered couple. "Guy looked like he was walking to the gallows, not down a red carpet with his wife," noted one carpet-watcher. In the above photo, his limp hand is stuck through her arm, like he's wearing a handcuff.

This week came reports that the Material Girl hired Paul McCartney's lawyer, who handled the former Beatle's bitter divorce from former model-turned-self-promotional-activist Heather Mills.  These reports have now been denied and dismissed by Madonna's publicist.

Guy was noticeably absent when Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year and was MIA at the premiere of her Malawi documentary at the Tribeca festival in New York.

Turning 50 this year, Madonna is hitting new highs with her expanded family; a new album, "Hard Candy"; a huge international tour; and with meaningful work for Malawi. Her younger husband's once-promising film career ("Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels") has stalled, although he has another British crime caper, "RocknRolla," due out this fall.

To address the ongoing separation rumors, Madonna's longtime publicist Liz Rosenberg released a statement recently:

"I am delighted to confirm that Mr. and Mrs. Guy Ritchie remain happily married. Though they were in different countries recently — Madonna in the U.S. doing promotion for her upcoming album, Hard Candy, and Guy finishing up post-production on his new film, RocknRolla, as well as completing a Nike commercial and working on several scripts in England — the family are joyfully back together at home in London. All is well and wonderful in the Ritchie household."

OK. We'll bite.

But keep reading for photos of Madonna and Guy from 2000-06, when they looked not just in love but deleriously in love. Guy was usually smiling, laughing and hugging Madonna.

Looks can be deceiving. But pictures can speak a thousand words. What do you think? 

A blond Guy Ritchie -- looking eerily like a young Mickey Rourke -- and a blond Madonna looked blissfully in love at a music launch party in 2000. She was even wearing a "Snatch" T-shirt to promote his upcoming film.

At the "Snatch" L.A. premiere, a playful Ritchie just couldn't keep his mitts off Madge! Quite a far cry from his grumpy Cannes carpet 'tude.

Guy and Madonna were all smiles at the "Swept Away" screening in 2002. Clearly, this was BEFORE their film was savaged by many critics.

Guy Ritchie still had fun with the paparazzi in 2003, back when he was still someone they wanted photos of. Now they just ask the sourpuss to step aside and stop ruining their Madonna shots.

Check out how CUTE the couple were at the 2004 Grammy Awards. Bet Madonna even helped dress her Guy in this natty pinstriped three-button designer suit.

Things were still going strong at the 2005 "Revolver" premiere in London. Although Guy Ritchie's playful grip on Madonna's arm looks a bit firmer (ouch) than in the past.

At the 2006 Vanity Fair Oscar bash, Guy Ritchie and Madonna put on their party faces.

At a 2007 "Revolver" screening, Madonna shows off her smoother, tauter face and Guy Ritchie's got the "What am I doing here?" look on his, similar to the one he wore to the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

Top photos: Madonna and Guy at the AMFar event and at the premiere of her documentary at Cannes Film Festival.

All photos: WireImage

Comments

[John]

If you were there when the photos were taken (not just limiting your opinion to the glum photos you chose) you would have seen them laughing. A few bad pics, from what were probably 1000s taken, give you the negative story you prefer to tell.

[Eliza]

Why is there such a rush to predict a divorce. Many couples have marital problems and many work through them. Leave them alone.

[writerdjb]

Later on the marriage thing. Its over, its not over only her REAL family knows.

The real question is why Madge wont come to the PALACE, in dETROIT mI this year.

[Annette]

When you fall in love with someone, you still want to be able to recognize her face, 7 years later... And he probably had reason to smile when she was financing HIS films and not competing with him!? (Madonna has a way of overcompensating herself like that.)

[susan]

I can't speak for their personal life, and this comment is slightly irrelevant, but with plastic surgery her face has lost all of its character. She doesn't look like a different person but it's not quite right. Sad. I know how bad the pressures in Hollywood are but Madonna seems like the kind of person who could withstand them.

[soc]

he does look very sad

[Mari]

I think he frowns because he's losing his hair. He had a regular hairline in the pics from 2000, but now he's got a serious widows peak forming. Poor Guy, he's still handsome though.

[Elizabeth Snead]

Mari:

love your observation about poor Guy's vanishing hair! I actually thought the same thing. thanks for bringing that point up. (and u r right, he's still handsome)

[Elizabeth Snead]

To John:

Actually, if you go to wireimage.com and do a search for madonna (with guy ritchie) like i did, you can see all the photos of the couple that i went through. i was initially just curious to see if guy had always looked so darn glum in his past photos. maybe its just his usual expression?.

but imagine my surprise. it wasn't hard to find happy expressions in the early years. but its very very hard to find a happy photo of them lately, especially at the two events they attended in cannes. guy in particular, looks really bummed and unhappy.

take a look and see tell me what you think.?

here's the link to all their photos

http://www.wireimage.com/searchresults.aspx?cbi=1567&s=madonna&sfld=C

[becks]

guy just looks...well, he looks good no matter whether he's smiling or not. madonna looks good as well. her face seems to be the only place that fat/weight shows on on her person, and i'm not sure if it's better when it does or when it doesn't. she obviously has "touched the 'tox," but it's not obvious that she's had any actual surgery. surgeons have discussed this in all the tabloids, and they seem split on the matter. who am i to argue with tabloid-talking surgeons.

[simone]

he looks very sad. he should not have married tthe hag.

[keri]

The hag? LOL! That's not nice. People shouldn't jump to conclusions just b/c they are not always smiling in their pictures. There's plenty of times I'm not smiling and I'm happy! Anyways, from the beginning why was this guy marrying a woman that's like what? 11 years older? He probably loved the money more and was hoping it would help his career. If it's not working out,that's b/c when you marry for the wrong reason, it obviously won't work out and you wasted both of your times and now the kids have to go through the crap of a divorce and visitations and she should have thought about that b/4 marrying someone that much younger. I think maybe it's b/c she wanted to have kids already and knew he would be a good father even if deep in her heart she knew they might not last forever. That sucks.

[r]

Madonna is going through menopause. She never got to see her mother go through menopause. Her mother died when she was very, very young. She feels adrift, as if about to die alone. For her creative self, she must separate, live alone.

[r]

Madonna is going through menopause. She never got to see her mother go through menopause. Her mother died when she was very, very young. She feels adrift, as if about to die alone. For her creative self, she must separate, live alone.

[Lynn]

Marrying a man so much younger?? When? If Guy was 11 years older than Madonna, nobody would be even thinking about mentionning it,
must be a jalous young person writing it!! In 2008...how pathetic to hear so much negativity..from young people..

[Josh]

OMG that man just screwed her out of 100 million bucks when he is nothing but a money hungry DOG! I am sure he is happy as heck getting that kind of money for NOTHING!