“Behind any great man, there is always a GREATER WOMAN…”
THE WIFE – Rated R – 1 hr. 40 mins
DIRECTOR: Bjorn Runge
WRITER: Meg Wolitzer (Novel), Jane Anderson (Screenplay)
STARRING: Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, Max Irons and Christian Slater
Based on the Novel by the same name by Meg Wolitzer, we meet dotting wife Joan Castleman (Glenn Close), standing by her man, as good wives always do, especially when your hubby Joe (Jonathan Price) has just been nominated to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature…
As the next few days become a whirlwind in the flurry of preparation, Joe is contacted yet again by biographer Nathaniel Bone (Christian Slater), wanting to share Joe’s story of fame and fortune with the world…but Joe wants no part of sharing “his true story” with Bone, or anyone else for that matter…
While Joe is becoming more and more wrapped up in all the pomp and circumstance surrounding his acceptance of this prestigious honor, Joan has about had enough of “all the fuss” and decides to seek refuge away from the spotlight…
Torn apart by the truth that she hasn’t shared with anyone, including her son David (Max Irons), and the pressure from journalist Bone to tell her side of the story too, Joan must decide if she will continue the farce that her and Joe created so many years ago, or turn the page, to becoming the woman she was destined to be…
I give THE WIFE a rating of MUST SEE ON THE BIG SCREEN: This role is so perfectly suited for Glenn Close, as shows so much vulnerability one minute, and consummate strength the next, She is so breathtakingly brilliant, that you will find yourself falling more entrances with her, and this character with every passing frame of this film. You will also become intrigued, and mystified, on how women “back in the day” were so willing to sell their souls, and quite possibly their careers, in a male-dominated society. Mark my words…the Golden Globes and the Oscars will be touting Close’s performance in THE WIFE come awards season, and rightfully so! The casting of Jonathan Pryce as her Professor Husband, and Max Irons (yes, he’s Jeremy’s son) as her son were superb choices too, as was the casting of Christian Slater, as the pesky journalist who is just dying to disclose everything there is know about the real life of Joe Castleman. I also thoroughly the cinematography aspects while viewing this film, as you are totally immersed not only in the its scenes, but also within its nostalgia, as it brings you directly into the turmoil and conflict being presented on screen. THE WIFE is definitely one of those films that has to be viewed on the big screen at a theater near you, as waiting to catch this film on your small screen at home, just won’t give Close, or this film, the justice they deserve.
Kathy Kaiser
MATINEE CHAT with Kathy Kaiser 