The Wife and Her House Husband

The Wife and Her House Husband, a review

I was fortunate enough to get cheap tickets to see this film in London's West End. I hadn't heard of the director before I went but I saw a short film of his 'Two Strangers Who Meet Five Times' and enjoyed it so was looking forward to the cinema trip. The Wife and Her House Husband is brilliant! Can I think of a more erudite word? Interesting? Intriguing? Both of those but I heard the director doesn't like those two descriptions.

The script is brilliant, lots of surprises, nothing predictable or corny, just brilliant, brilliant acting from two actors I had never seen but happy to know now! The choice of music, the pregnant pauses and the close-up facial expressions of a married couple going through some extreme emotions was enthralling.

I am a Londoner and recognized a lot of the scenery which made it enjoyable for me. This film proves that a low budget doesn't mean you have to scrimp on enjoyment. Although the film was about the two main characters, the choice of character actors in the other scenes was on point - very good casting. If you like quality writing and acting, go and see/stream/buy the film. This director is special. I then watched Papadopoulos & Sons on the back of this as I heard that was another one of his films and that did not disappoint. I can imagine when a writer/director wants to write a story with heart (all three of these films have heart), it is not easy to avoid corny predictability or sentimentality but all three films avoid that. They are fresh and original. Thank you, Marcus!

I don't tend to write reviews of films but I felt I wanted to for this film.

This is a fantastic and complex film that doesn't just follow the formula but takes some interesting turns along the way and keeps you intrigued. It's a slow burn that delivers story elements as and when needed (rather than in big info dumps) which leads to a satisfying emotional journey.

This all taken into account with the fact that it was shot over 9 days during the pandemic make it even more of a great achievement. Marcus and his cast and crew should be extremely proud of their achievements.

In a wider view, what Marcus and his team have achieved with securing a cinema run with their Cinema For A Pound scheme is outstanding and is trailblazing a path for other indie filmmakers to follow.

A fantastic project all round. Highly recommended.