The Wife -- Film Review

The Wife

Directed by Björn Runge

This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen.  I hated it from beginning to end.  I can't say anything good about it.  You may think I am biased, but this is really just a simple observation.  None of the characters are attractive in any way.  I particularly disliked that bitch of a wife (Glenn Close).  Why he stayed married to her for so long I'll never understand.  Castleman (Jonathan Pryce) is completely unconvincing as a writer, let alone a Nobel Prize winner.  Nobel Prize winners tend to be interesting people.  These people are dull, vapid, and effete.  The script is poorly written.  The storyline is nonsense.  The flashbacks to earlier events don't work.  It's really a mess.  The women who concocted this hooey had no clue what they were doing.  It is a silly fantasy of angry, disgruntled, disappointed women, who would like to be Nobel Prize winners themselves, but these mediocrities will never get anywhere near a Nobel Prize.  They killed off the lead character at the end, but they should have done like Shakespeare and killed off everybody. 

It wasn't my idea to go to this.  A friend invited me.  I had seen the previews and didn't expect to like it, but it far exceeded my worst forebodings.  I was ready to leave after five minutes, but my friend invited me, and he was treating.  So I was stuck.  I don't like to write a review where I just trash something.  I try to avoid seeing crap.  But at the same time, I think the public has a right to know when they are being served up garbage.  They want $11 to $15 to see a movie these days.  I can remember when it was 50 cents.  If they expect people to pay these exorbitant prices to see a film, they should provide a worthy experience for what they are asking.  They spend millions of dollars to make this rubbish, hiring many people with considerable capabilities and genuine talent.  Yet this is the best they can come up with after all that expense and effort.  It's sad.