The Wife

A fascinating story about an iconic 20th century author and Nobel Prize winner's ceremony in Stockholm is told from the vantage point of his faithful, devoted wife who first met him as one of his students decades earlier in Smith College. Based on the novel by Meg Wolitzer, it is a layered, challenging character study wonderfully brought to the big screen.

Three tremendous performances anchor this film. Glenn Close is compelling and sympathetic as the painstakingly complex protagonist wrestling with long-suppressed demons and a conflicting sense of fidelity to a marital relationship that requires an extraordinary level of compromise. Jonathan Pryce is excellent in a viscerally narcissistic role that becomes more and more appalling in his character's audacity as the storyline develops; you might wonder how this man lived with himself. Finally, Christian Slater is sharp as an unctuous but quietly ruthless biographer who has set out on an investigation- a textbook example of an odious character with righteous ends. All three actors contribute extremely well, even though Glenn Close's perspective is front and center all the way.

This film can be difficult to watch at times, but it's a powerful story that is well-presented and executed. It's a film that might warrant viewing a second time to evaluate the characters' dynamics to fully appreciate the heart of the story. Enthusiastically recommend.

Methodically paced but an intense and complicated drama, where Glenn Close is just mesmerizing on screen. As other reviewers have noted, it's highly disappointing she did not win the Best Actress Oscar.

Jonathan Pryce and Christian Slater are also excellent in their roles, and Annie Starke (Close's real life daughter) stood out in her supporting role as the young Close character. Most able direction by Swedish director Bjorn L. Runge and superb writing of the screenplay by Jane Anderson, adapted from the novel of Meg Wolitzer.

Really nice movie with great performances. I don't understand why or how Glenn didn't win this time smh.

Greetings again from the darkness. THE STEPFORD WIVES was stocked with some men's ideal of the perfect spouse ... attractive, dutiful, always ready to serve. In director Bjorn Runge's adaptation of the novel by Meg Wolitzer (screenplay by Jane Anderson), Joan Castleman is all of that and more as she constantly caters to her literary giant of a husband, writer Joe Castleman. It's 1992 in coastal Connecticut, and in only a few days, things will change dramatically for Mr. and Mrs. Castleman.

When we first meet this long married couple, they are in bed - she's sleeping soundly, while he's full of anxiety and anticipation over a phone call that may or may not happen. See, Joe is up for the Nobel Prize in Literature, and when the early morning call from Stockholm does come, Joe eagerly prompts Joan to listen in on the extension (it's 1992, so these are land lines). As the authoritative voice on the other end announces Joe's prize, it's the look on Joan's face that tells us that, for her, this is no celebratory moment. The facial expression is quite powerful, and it's our first inclination that 6 time Oscar nominee Glenn Close (as Joan Castleman) is delivering a performance as memorable as her work in DANGEROUS LIASONS and FATAL ATTRACTION (only this time there's no bunny).

Jonathan Pryce is spot on as the narcissistic Joe Castleman. He's clearly addicted to the pedestal upon which he sits and the corresponding adoration from worshipping fans. He's the type of guy who thinks he's doing Joan a favor by mentioning her in his speeches and calling her over to be part of his oh-so-important conversations. But as good as Mr. Pryce is, this is a tour de force from Ms. Close. She's always a step ahead of her husband - finding his glasses, ensuring he takes his pills, and monitoring his diet and sleep. It's the Nobel Prize phone call that stirred some long-suppressed feelings; lighting a fuse that will leave us anxiously awaiting the fireworks.

Max Irons (Jeremy's son) plays an aspiring writer and son to Joe and Joan. David's bitterness towards his father is evident throughout and his desperate attempts to gain his father's respect are nothing short of heart-breaking. Christian Slater plays Nathaniel Bone, a would-be biographer of Joe Castleman ... if only Joe would give him the time of day. Nathaniel is often quite intrusive in his pursuit of the truth - at least what he hopes it would be since it would make a fantastic book. Karin Franz Korlof plays Linnea, a young photographer assigned to Joe during the Sweden trip. It's an odd role as none of the other winners have their own photographer ... but not as odd as the small talk amongst the various category Nobel winners. Those scenes, and the verbal exchanges, are as awkward as one might imagine.

Director Runge utilizes flashbacks to 1958 Smith College to provide us a foundation and narrative for the relationship between Joe and Joan. She was once a budding star writer under the tutelage of the young, married professor. Her flirting, babysitting and writing all worked to win Joe over, and they were soon married. Young Joe the professor is played by Harry Lloyd (great-great-great grandson of Charles Dickens), and young Joan is played beautifully by Annie Stark (Glenn Close's real life daughter). These early days and an encounter with a broken female writer (played terrifically by Elizabeth McGovern) lead Joan to surrender her writing dreams and put her support behind her husband. Shooting down the purity of "a writer must write", McGovern's beaten down character instead says "a writer has to be read".

Glenn Close will likely receive much Oscar chatter for her role. Her transformation from dutiful sidekick to self-enlightenment is a performance laden with subtle and nuanced signs of resentment. Her early disquiet could be compared to a volcano - the inside building towards eruption while the outside remains strong and majestic. Living a lie never becomes truth ... even after 30 plus years.

"The Wife" (2017 release; 100 min.) brings the story of an elder couple, Joe and Joan. As the movie opens, it is "Connecticut 1992", and the couple is asleep, only to be woken up by an early morning phone call. It is the Nobel Academy, informing Joe that he has won the Nobel Price for Literature. Joe and Joan are overjoyed, and celebrate. Before we know it, they and grown-up son David, a wanna-be writer himself, are off to Stockholm for the award ceremony. On the plane, Joe and Joan are approached by Nathaniel, who hopes to become Joe's official biographer. Upon arriving in Stockholm, Joan thinks back how they met at Smith College in 1958... At the point we're less than 15 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: the movie is directed by Swedish director Bjoen Runge, pretty much an unknown talent on this side of the ocean. Here he brings the book of the same name by Meg Wolitzer to the big screen. I have not read the book and hence cannot comment how faithful the film remains to the book. This is a very plot-heavy movie, so I am not going to say anything more about that. I will say that the movie succeeds because of its two lead performances. Glenn Close is outstanding as Joan, and frankly so is Jonathan Pryce as Joe. Christian Slater seems like he is having a ball in the supporting role of Nathaniel, the biographer-wannabe. Make sure to keep an eye out for a short (less than 5 min. of screen time) and an all-too-rare appearance by Elizabeth McGovern, who plays a veteran female writer visiting Smith College in the late 50s. The photography is nice, in particular the great overhead shots of Stockholm.

"The Wife" premiered at last year's Toronto Film Festival, to positive buzz. The movie finally reached my art-house theater here in Cincinnati. No idea why it's taken over a year, but better late than never. The early Sunday evening screening where I saw this at was attended nicely (about 20 people). If you are interested in an intense character study with some nice plot twists along the way, of are simply a fan of Glenn Close or any other the other performers, I'd readily suggest you check out "The Wife", be it in the theater (if you still can), on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.