I Think I Love My Wife

I wasn't going to comment until I saw all the negative and I thought unfair comments about this movie. I've always said that movies reviews often show what's going on inside us as much as what's went on on the screen. I for one was at first reluctant to see this movie because I thought Chris Rock's other movie attempts were juvenile. But when I read his announcement that this was his first "adult" movie, I became interested. I appreciated that this was a slice of life movie. I heard a complaint that there was no plot but since when does life present a neatly contrived plot? The movie represented a period out a man's life, a particularly rough patch in his marriage. It was exaggerated where it needed to be for comic effect, which for me, I'm happy to say was very successful, since most attempts at comedy leave me stone faced. In general both my boyfriend and I have discriminating tastes in movies. It's tough to surprise us, please us, make us laugh, while at the same time presenting a realistic life issue that makes one think. This movie did that. It wasn't strictly formula. My suggestion is to not automatically believe the negative reviews. Don't even take my review as gospel. But I think any movie that creates such divergent reactions deserves a look. I would suggest you definitely check it out and decide for yourself.

This film is about a man having to make choices between his wife and kids, and a beautiful woman who suddenly appears in his life.

I thought this film was a comedy, but it was not. It was a drama about a man in an less than satisfactory marriage. I think the negative comments about this film stems from the fact that people expected this to be a comedy, hence they got disappointed by what they see. Richard Cooper's confusion is well portrayed, and I am sure a lot of people can relate to the situation. If the film had a title that sounded less like a comedy, so that people knew what to expect, I am sure it would have enjoyed a better word of mouth.

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.

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

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.