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It would appear that the writers of this rather muddled movie were in a big rush to get the script in. They borrowed elements of a number of movies, including the two in my summary, patched them together and voila. Instant movie.

Don't get me wrong, this movie isn't a total loss. If you just consider the acting, we have two standouts. Peter Greene as one of the vilest villains I've seen in a while, and Clea Lewis as the greedy, vindictive wife of the best friend.

Let's not forget Halle Berry. No, let's not. Her acting is always credible, even when she's forced to recite lines like these. And I can assure you she is as adorable in person as she is on screen. I worked with her on a mini-series called "The Wedding" some years ago. She was pleasant, professional, cheerful, friendly, and beautiful. Gee, I almost sound like I'm gushing, but I have worked a lot of movies with a lot of actors, and she really did stand out.

All in all, I don't think you can lose by spending a little time with this movie, but I have to warn you: There are more plot holes in it than there are pot holes in Jersey City.

This wasn't a bad film, it was entertaining, made you guess most of the time, and was pretty tense, its only flaw is some stupidity, and the jump scenes in it are predictable. Plus the film itself is predictable, but it is good, and it worth watching. Halle Berry is sensational as The Rich Man's Wife. The ending is especially satisfying, making your jaw drop to the ground. I give it a 7 out of 10. Rated R for strong violence and language.

Josie and Tony Potenza are your typical (Hollywood) upper-crust couple. The middle-aged Tony (Christopher McDonald) is somewhat of an apathetic husband and an alcoholic, but is an otherwise loving husband with a thriving career as a film executive. Josie, the wife about half his age, feels neglected by him, but hides her concerns because she still loves her husband (and the money, let's not kid ourselves). Their flawed, but satisfactory life goes awry one night when Josie admits her marital problems to a Cole (Peter Greene), a total stranger who she becomes acquainted with after her car breaks down and he helps her out. Unfortunately for Tony, she also admits to Cole she sometimes wishes Tony was dead. Despite taking the comment back, Cole appears to take Josie's words seriously, and the problems ensue.

The cast, especially the supporting actors, bring a rather pedestrian script to life. Halle Berry is not only beautiful, but a competent actress in any role (aside from Catwoman), and in the context of the first 93 of the films 94 minute runtime, she does extraordinary as a woman lost in a situation which is totally out of her control. Christopher McDonald is great as usual, and fits the role of a wealthy, apathetic husband well. Peter Greene and Clive Owen (Josie's boyfriend) both work with what they have, and Clea Lewis (who I never heard of before this film) brings some mild humor.

The plot itself is nothing particularly new or original, but it grabs your attention slowly and when it has you hooked, it doesn't let go. While most of the material is recycled from previous (and better) films, it's presented in a manner that's still refreshing, and the characters hold it together.

Of the crew, the cinematographer, Haskell Wexler, displays his talents the best. There are many great sweeping shots of the mountains and forests, and the film as a whole has a glossy, well-composed look to it.

And there you have it: the good. The film's first 93 minutes is time well spent. The plot is interesting, the acting is above average, and film is well-shot.

Unfortunately, the last 60 seconds, yes, sixty seconds, is the film's undoing. I won't spoil the "surprise," but it is a twist ending that will cause you to scratch your head for a few minutes, and then make you wish you hadn't wasted your time. It seems like no thought went into the twist ending, and it was just tacked on because it was a popular thing to do. And with the twist at the end, gaping plot holes are left in the film. Horrible to end to an otherwise good movie. So, please take my advice. It's not such a bad movie, but skip the last 60 seconds or you'll feel cheated out of your time and intelligence.

The Rich Man's wife is an unabashedly trashy little Hitchcockian thriller with a young Halle Berry caught in a very dangerous situation that has spun wildly out of control. She discovers that her unpleasant and very wealthy husband (Christopher McDonald) has a hell of a prenuptial agreement looming over her. Over drinks with intense stranger Cole Wilson (Peter Greene), she offhandedly jokes that she should arrange his murder to speed up the process. Wilson turns out to be a grade A maniac and takes her comments seriously, setting forth some nasty events into motion that she never planned on. Berry is also getting side action from suave restauranteer Clive Owen, who ends up in way over his head trying to deal with murderous, unhinged Wilson who is attempting to frame Berry for her husband's death and generally causing problems for everyone. Berry is solid, Owen is restrained in an early career appearance. It's Greene however who earns brownie points, as he usually does. He makes Cole a fun psychopath who relishes in ruining lives and terrorizing people. A last minute, ludicrous and laughable twist ending solidifies the tawdry 90's vibe, showcasing amoral lunatics out to kill each other and pervert the American Dream. Standard thriller material, worth a watch simply to raise awareness of its existence, since it seems to have been buried in the two decades of time since its release.

An early movie by three lead actors who would go on to super-stardom, well Peter Green is not a superstar but makes a super villain. This is a slightly above average movie pastime that is not bad, but is bogged down by some genre conventions that are, well, conventional. The twist ending was completely unnecessary and for that indulgence it can be faulted.

The supporting cast is good and the cinematography is excellent. There is one scene that stands out (in the park) for all those movie fans that recognize that hitting a moving target with a handgun is not as easy as it looks in most Hollywood products.

The camera loves Halle Berry and here she displays some acting chops that would prove that she was not just another (very) pretty girl. So this is an average to slightly above average Neo-Noir that can be enjoyed for the best of it.

With big A-list stars like Halle Berry and British actor Clive Owen starring in a murder mystery, which on the package seemed intriguing and suspenseful and with promises of twists and turns I was really looking forward to this, but oh dear! You would have more fun staring at the walls in your bedroom for the whole length of this film then to watch it. The acting was horrible, Halle Berry as wife Josie Potenza gives a truly dreadful performance, her worst ever. She wasn't convincing in the slightest, the principal villain Cole Wilson played by Peter Greene has to be one of the worst portrayed villains in cinematic history,he was about as frightening as a piece of fruit that just sits on the shelf waiting to be eaten.

Any suspense and tension in the film, which is told in a flashback by Berry to the police who have arrested her, is none. It was so predictable when it came to the action. Director Amy Jones hasn't got a clue how to create tension in a murder mystery. Yes there are a couple of good twists, but I did see them coming just before they were revealed and I liked Clive Owen's acting as the character Jake, which is why I gave this a two star, but really the acting was so theatrical, it just had the air of a TV movie like you watch on channel four late one night! I'm not surprised by the very low rating of 5.0 on IMDb. Do yourself a favour and miss this unless your bored. It's one murder mystery that has no intrigue or tension and is just plain dull and dry like a soggy biscuit.

Revisiting this lifetimey thriller I still enjoyed it if only for the films tense and surprising finale. Halle Berry (Monster's Ball) stars as a trophy wife who at the beginning is hauled into the police station after her husband is murder and she proceeds to them what happened. She tells of a troubled marriage and the meeting of a psychotic stranger who decides to murder her husband and blackmail her. Clive Owen (King Arthur) also stars as her secret boyfriend. But the movie iui s seriously stolen by a charismatic Clea Lewis as Owen's trashy ex wife. The movies plot is stolen from better films but executed in a guilty pleasure, melodramatic hitchcockian way. And despite a few unintentional laughs because of Berrys over dramatic performance the movie does end up quite thrilling if all too familiar.

Box Office: $9m

3.5/5

Beautiful young Halle Berry (as Josie) is married to ultra-rich older PBC-TV network executive Christopher McDonald (as Tony Potenza). Her job is to look beautiful and dress sexy. His job is to review TV pilots and the fall line-up. They love each other, really, but each are having extracurricular sex. She is getting hers from British restaurateur Clive Owen (as Jake Golden). He has various dalliances. Because Ms. Berry loves her husband, really, she is concerned with his drinking problem and preoccupation with work. Berry feels neglected and believes their marriage may be on the rocks...

To help repair the marriage, Berry arranges for the couple to spend some time in a small romantic cabin. Alas, her husband drinks too much and falls asleep. They give up on sex and he leaves. She decides to stay and check out local action in a dive bar. Arriving solo and looking to arouse, Berry has a drink and catches the eye of pool-playing Peter Greene (as Cole Wilson). Possibly turned-off by his creepy eye make-up, Berry leaves without a pick-up. Alas, her jeep dies. Stalled on a dark and rainy night, Berry is now a damsel in distress. No problem, as Mr. Greene happens by to drive her home...

Berry insists she loves her husband and declines Greene's sexual invitations. They portend rape, but Berry decided to date Greene anyway. They discuss her failing marriage. Berry was an innocent 17-year-old poor girl, swept off her feet. Greene believes Berry is asking him to kill her husband, but she disagrees. That's the set-up. "The Rich Man's Wife" begins with Berry's arrest. Then, she tells her story. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but can be followed. However, a final scene strains credulity to the breaking point. Cinematography (by Haskell Wexler) and support (like Clea Lewis) help.

***** The Rich Man's Wife (9/13/96) Amy Holden Jones ~ Halle Berry, Peter Greene, Clive Owen, Clea Lewis

This was a bloody excellent movie. I would see this again and again and again. Very good cast selection and Halle Berry looks so different in 1996. This has got a couple of jumps and stuff in it and I was so thrilled by the suspense that i accidentally pierced my arm rest on my chair with my fingernails. Now over here in Australia, apparently this movie doesn't exist, but I saw a copy in a DVD store and luckily it was rated MA so i got it straight away and i was so excited about it, i had to hit myself. Very good cast, direction, acting, sets and if you live in Australia and you see a copy of this movie, get it straight away because it is extremely rare since it is only on video now and they have stopped all production of videos. If somebody says this is a chick flick, they have no idea what this movie is.

Berry did put on a very nice performance, as well as the rest of the cast. Although, there is this one part where she is in a vehicle, and is screaming...screaming...screaming... It gets QUITE annoying.

Also, the encounters by the sliding door remind me a lot of Scream. I am not sure which movie ripped off who (I believe this one came out first), but the scenes are similar.

Overall, Jones wrote/directed an excellent thriller. You will experience many "WHY DID HE/SHE DO THAT" - "OMGs" - and a few "AWWs". The ending has such a neat twist, and even if this is not your type of movie...do watch it to see Peter Greene topless.

;)

Sad to say but even someone as fantastic as Clive Owen can make a career mistake. This is one of his rare bad movies, but as someone once said, sometimes you just have to make a living too.

Story is older than mold. Rich man has unhappy wife. Unhappy wife is a dope and confides in a total stranger that she has fantasies about her husbands demise. Before you can say PREDICTABLE!, stranger decides her fantasies should become reality.

But wait, its all a set-up. Can't tell you more than that, but there is more than one twist, none of them particularly original or well thought-out.

I really like Clive and I like Peter Greene too. Christopher McDonald I liked from such classics as "Requiem for a Dream" and "Quiz Show" but his character here is sketchy, at best.

Oh yeah, Halle Berry is in it too, and SURPRISE SURPRISE, she cries. 4/10.

I watched this movie around 3 o'clock in the morning and I wasnt really impressed.

First of all, How can you trust a guy like Peter Greene(Cole Wilson)?

This film was predictable in many parts and the lighting was really bad.However,Halle Berry was very pretty in this movie and yes she actually does cry.

Just dont make the same mistake I did and stay up til' 3 o'clock in the morning.But what the heck I was bored.

To wrap this comment up I give it a 6/10 *

Suffering from a bad childhood, "Josie Potenza" (Halle Berry) marries at an early age to a wealthy real estate developer named "Tony Potenza" (Christopher McDonald) in order to essentially escape from a life of poverty. However, after seven years she realizes that her marriage is in trouble and in order to attempt to patch things up suggests that the two of them get away for a week to a cottage in the woods. Unfortunately, once there Tony gets a call from the office and has to go back. Needless to say, Josie isn't very happy with this sudden turn of events and rather than go back with him chooses to stay at this isolated location. Not long afterward she meets a man named "Cole Wilson" (Peter Greene) and subsequently tells him about her rich husband and the marital problems she is currently having. Unfortunately, Cole has some serious issues of his own and mistakenly concludes that she wants him to kill Tony. To make things worse, he then becomes quite agitated when she refuses his companionship and attempts to rape Josie--only to flee when she fires at him with a small pistol. After this Josie's problems really begin. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that I was somewhat disappointed with this movie. The main reason for this was because, although this film had drama, it seemed to lack the passion or suspense often necessary for a movie of this type. Likewise, I thought that the surprise twist at the end was especially pedestrian. Be that as it may, Halle Berry put in a fine performance and because of that this movie wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. In any case, while it certainly could have been better, I suppose it was okay for the most part and because of that I have rated it as about average.

This is a perfect example of bad writing. Yes . . . Halle Berry is beautiful, but that doesn't up for mediocre acting and an overall weak movie. I saw this piece of crap on cable and the guide gave it *1/2 (out of 4*). They were being generous! I give it 2* (out of 10*)

Watch closely to the first 40 minutes. Chris McDonald (always portrayed as the nemesis of good people everywhere, and does a good job of it) is assumed to be a total jerk. Not so, he's got a cliché drinking problem, he's a workaholic, and is having an affair, reciprocated by his wife. And this makes him evil? Watch her closely! Little naive, working class GOLD-DIGGER! The best part of the those first 40 minutes is the waitress's reaction to her bs when she's "confiding" with the bad boy.

Who wrote this crap? It's like a romance novel with an IQ of 27, give or take 26.

Don't even bother unless you have some very, very delicate (don't hurt her feelings) axe (arse) to grind.

See ya.

Watch closely to the first 40 minutes. Chris McDonald (always portrayed as the nemesis of good people everywhere, and does a good job of it) is assumed to be a total jerk. Not so, he's got a cliché drinking problem, he's a workaholic, and is having an affair, reciprocated by his wife. And this makes him evil? Watch her closely! Little naive, working class GOLD-DIGGER! The best part of the those first 40 minutes is the waitress's reaction to her bs when she's "confiding" with the bad boy.

Who wrote this crap? It's like a romance novel with an IQ of 27, give or take 26.

Don't even bother unless you have some very, very delicate (don't hurt her feelings) axe (arse) to grind.

See ya.

This movie is very stupid. Jumps back and forth too much. The plot lacks any interest at all. You get the feeling that she is telling the story, but there are scenes that she is not in, so how can she tell us what is going on in scenes where she isn't present. This is very sorry film making.

*

A far too predictable film to have much "suspense", I didn't really care for this one. Halle Berry is not one of my favorites, either. A very sexy and attractive woman, she (unfortunately) has been typecast as exactly that, and having few opportunities to break out of this mold. Lately, however, she truly did. She was successfully cast in the highly popular Keanu Reeves world of "John Wick". She is a rare protagonist in these films; helping John Wick (Keanu Reeves), in "John Wick: Parabellum"; which just opened a few days ago. Her role is similar (but more expansive) to Willem Dafoe's in the original film "John Wick" (2014). I am a big fan of Clive Owen; a very underrated actor, much like Willem Dafoe, who can play anyone doing anything. I am also a fan of Peter Greene, who is almost always the villain. I particularly liked him in the brilliant suspense/thriller/caper film, "The Usual Suspects" (1995). Although he typically has smaller parts than this film; "The Rich Man's Wife" (what a dumb name; ouch) he makes a lot out of each role; the most you can ask of any actor. Although not near as famous in the film world, he is kind of like "Malcolm McDowell", who was the lead in the wildly controversial and popular Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange"; the role of a lifetime for any actor. McDowell has gone on to make well over 100 films, usually (but not always) cast as a villain. I am a huge fan of his. Anyway, skip this and watch the 2 films I mentioned, along with Clive Owen in "The International" (2009).