Je crois que j'aime ma femme

Perhaps my expectations were to high. Perhaps I was expecting a different kind of film, or perhaps it just wasn't very good. For whatever reason, I Think I Love My Wife, Chris Rock's second feature as director, comes as a massive disappointment. Written by Rock and Louis CK, the absolute two funniest men alive, I Think I Love My Wife seemed to be a sure fire hit from the two Emmy winning writers. Unfortunately, the two men opted to make more of a dramedy than edgy comedy like they are known for. There isn't much new ground here. Infidelity has been the topic of a number comedy/drama pictures in the past so the story of a married father (Rock) tempted by an old flame (Kerry Washington) doesn't get many points for originality. Had Rock and Louis CK tried to approach the material with the R-rating in front of their minds instead of making essentially a PG-13 comedy with some F-words thrown in, they might have had more success. However, with the focus on drama, the proceedings often fall flat. Part of the problem is with Rock's directing. Rock is still a new director who has yet to find his style and footing. This seems more like a debut than that of a second time director. Louis CK could have done a better job at the helm as he has proved to have a much firmer grasp on film-making with his prior directing work. Rock behind the camera is inadequate. He does shine in a few brief moments (the Viagra scene, the fantasy sequences) and he does surprisingly well with some of the emotional scenes towards the finale, though for the most part, he leaves much to be desired. Fans of Rock and Louis CK may want to check this out, but I can't imagine anyone else being terribly interested. 4/10

Richard (Chris Rock) appears to have it all. He is a successful banking executive in New York City, lives in a posh home in the suburbs, and has the proverbial gorgeous wife and two kids. However, when a beautiful female acquaintance from former years crosses his path again, he begins to wonder if he is indeed missing something. Nikki is lovely beyond words and makes a big play for him, promising a supercharged sexual liaison. Richard toys with the idea, because it's true that his sex life at home has waned, what with the ongoing decisions about the children and the wall sconces for the living room. Should he risk an affair? This is an occasionally funny film with very attractive performers. Rock is a talented actor and he makes the most of the script's humorous situations. Just watch him cave into smoking a weed at a party or have a semi-serious encounter with a Viagra pill and you will be very mirthful. The trouble is, of course, that the film's comic moments are not in overabundance. The rest of the cast is very fine, with Steve Buscemi giving a nice little performance as a scummy colleague of Richard's. The two main female leads are colossally beautiful and arresting individuals, adding greatly to the movie's enjoyment. Costumes, sets, and production values are high. Beware, however, of some strong language from time to time, as the F-bomb is tossed around on occasion. All in all, this movie is not without humor or good messages yet can not be declared an outright winner. Nevertheless, it will do for an evening's entertainment or, more importantly, it would make a great counseling tool for those considering marriage in the near future. It's ultimate stance on marital commitment and the perils of infidelity are admirable indeed.

I was really looking forward to I Think I Love My Wife, I saw the commercial advertisement for the DVD and this movie looked like so much fun. So I finally got the rental and watched it this morning and I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with it. You know what lost the major points with me? Now, I know Chris Rock's humor, I know he likes to joke about the white man, but this movie just seemed to keep mentioning the white race which I wasn't impressed with. Just because if it were the other way around with a certain line like "Is your wife white?", now if it was a white woman saying "is your wife black?", most people would have been insulted. I'm just sick of the humor, it's getting old and we need to grow up. The story is just the typical man with a mid life crisis with a typical marriage, at the least the horror version.

Richard Cooper is a married man with two beautiful children, awesome job with good pay, a big house, sounds like the perfect life, right? Well, wrong! Him and his wife do not have sex any more and his life has become a bit predictable, that is until he meets and old crush, Nikki and temptation is knocking down the door. Richard plays naive at first acting completely oblivious to her moves, yet when he realizes what she's after, he just keeps hanging out with her risking his job that she visits constantly and family. But Richard tries to remain tough while living a life that he's already over since he's been married.

Over all, I Think I Love My Wife isn't a bad film, it just wasn't what I expected. The acting was fine, it was just the story that seemed unbalanced and not to mention the racial lines that were just unnecessary. So if you're looking to watch this film, I would say to give it a look, I think me taking those lines seriously is a bit much, but I'm just sick of that "humor", I think we need to grow past it if we want a better future, you know? But judge for yourself, other than what I mentioned, it's just an average mid life crisis movie, nothing more.

3/10

For those who want to watch a comedy movie, then this is not what you are looking for. Yeah it has Chris Rock as the main actor, but in this movie he is not the stand up comedian, and he doesn't wish to make you laugh out silly like he usually does in his TV shows.

The story is about a man, who has been married for seven years, and has become a sex-deprived man because he has not make love for a long time. Things got messier when he met his old flame and he suddenly got attracted to her. She was supposed to be a temptress but I think she looked more like a prostitute looking for customers in broad daylight. But heck, he was still attracted to her, mainly because she offered to give him the thing that his wife wouldn't want to give him anymore. Catch my drift? So the story goes that he began to lose focus in his life, particularly with his family and his job in a bank. All because of the temptress and his stupidity to fall for her charm (and partly due to his other head too).

This story addresses the problem faced by many married couple and I think this movie did a good job in portraying the problem. Sometimes it is hard to understand why many married couple choose to end their marriage, and this movie certainly shed some idea on the problem. Without doubt, a good watch.

Chris Rock, whom made his living as a comedian, tries to go dramatic, and as one would expect, it just doesn't work. He doesn't seem to be able to star in a hit film. Perhaps he should just stick to TV work where he was great on SNL. Rock plays Richard, a middle aged family man whom has become bored with his wife, whom just isn't interested in sex any more. One day an old friend stops by his office. Nikki still looks great and seems to be having fun stringing Richard along even though she has a boyfriend. She begins inviting him out to lunch and to just go places. And Richard, just seems not able to say no. He doesn't really want to cheat on his wife, yet he wants to bring some excitement to his life. And Nikki seems safe since she has a man. But, Nikki breaks up with her guy and wants to spend even more time with Richard. Richard starts the lies with his wife, but still manages not to get caught. And I guess if you want to say there is a big dramatic scene, it is whether or not Richard will cheat.

As I've said, Rock is a comedian and not a dramatic actor. He doesn't bring a lot to this role. And this movie is not some romance comedy.

FINAL VERDICT: It's OK, but the story is nothing great and Rock is miscast. It's not worth renting.