Plot: What’s it about?
There are several movies with plot twists that make you think back over the entire film, sometimes with a shifted perspective. The really good films almost warrant second and third viewings just to make sure you catch everything. Unfortunately with The Rich Man’s Wife the plot twist just doesn’t quite add up. I certainly won’t reveal it, but the film might’ve been better off had it forgone the last 60 seconds all together. Late film critic Roger Ebert shared similar thoughts. Heck, even the film historian who provides audio commentary found on this disc admits that he doesn’t quite understand the ending. It seems to have been inspired by The Usual Suspects and the twist found there, but it just throws things off and upon closer inspection, things still don’t quite make sense. Everything before that, however, is still quite effective that I do think the film warrants a look. That is even if the last minute nearly undoes all the came before. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Halle Berry plays Josie Potenza. She’s married to Tony Potenza (Christopher McDonald). The two of them have hit a bit of a bump in their marriage. Tony lets work consume him and he drinks too much. At the suggestion of Josie, the two of them take a romantic getaway at a lakeside cabin. Unfortunately Tony is called away for work matters, but Josie decides to stay there a few more days. While out at a bar one night, Josie meets a man named Cole Wilson (Peter Greene). The two talk for a bit, but Josie says she’s married and decides to head home. Her jeep breaks down and Cole finds her and offers her a lift. He offers her a dinner invite to which she finally accepts. As they’re talking, Josie mentions that she’s unhappy with her marriage and she even fantasizes about her husband’s death. As Cole drives her home, he drives recklessly, frightening Josie. As they get back to the cabin, Josie fires a gun at Cole and he finally leaves. Back home, Tony and Josie’s marriage seems to be improving, with Tony laying off the drinking. As he stops at an ATM one night, Cole sneaks into Tony’s car where he tells him to drive to a park. There’s a scuffle, but ultimately Cole kills Tony. Cole then tells Josie that she’s to keep her mouth shut and pay him $30,000. Things become further complicated when the police begin to look at Josie as a potential suspect. I haven’t even touched on the character of Jake Golden played by Clive Owen. Tony had given Jake a loan to start his restaurant, but it’s not doing well. Also, he and Josie are lovers as well. There’s also the character of Nora Golden played by Clea Lewis who is Jake’s Ex-wife. She tells the detectives that Josie couldn’t have murdered Tony while also bashing her Ex-husband.
If all this sounds like a lot of plotting, well it is, but the film juggles these characters relatively well. I was with it for the most part, while not scratching my head too often to keep up. It maintained my interest and generated enough suspense to leave me wondering the outcome. Berry is a good actress even if she’s a bit too soft spoken here. The film does a good job at keeping us unsure of her innocence. Things go well all until that final twist which throws things all out of whack. I really wish Amy Holden Jones who wrote and directed the film provided a commentary to provide her thoughts as it would’ve been nice to hear her perspective. But the twist really does leave a lot to be desired. It’s hard to elaborate as I don’t want to spoil things, but it does sort of pull the rug from under our feet and shift our perspective on a major character. Still, I think enough of the film works to warrant a viewing. Just be prepared that the twist is severely flawed.
Video: How’s it look?
Despite a few traces of grain, the film looks quite nice here. The image is AVC encoded with a 1.85:1 ratio. There’s a freshness to the print, with details coming through nicely. Background shots were easy on the eyes and nicely detailed as well. This transfer serves the film in a positive manner.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The DTS HD track is also solid, with vocals having the clarity I’ve come to expect. All the channels remained pretty active, with the action scenes kicking things up a bit. It draws us more into the world. Little bits and details only enhance things, making this a worthy track.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary -Film Historian Jim Hemphill provides an excellent track for the film. He touches on Roger Ebert and his comments, even commenting that he himself can’t quite figure out the ending. He speaks of the Writer/Director and how she’s shifted toward TV and how films of this sort really aren’t made today. This track definitely deserves a listen.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
We really don’t see a lot of films like this anymore, and that’s kind of sad. While not a classic, this one is made for adults, though it has a campy feel as well. The final twist is almost a deal breaker, but I think enough of the film works to warrant a viewing. Whether you rent it or have seen it and want to own it, this disc presents it in a strong manner. I do wish more extras were included, but the commentary is a great one. Recommended with reservations.
