“I Think I Love My Wife” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Chris Rock Is A Funny Man, But Not In This Movie
Chris Rock is a funny man when he is doing standup on TV or in concert, but in the new movie “I Think I Love My Wife,” which he directed and in which he stars, he isn’t very funny at all. Somehow Chris the actor and director hamper the funnyman skills of Chris the comic. The movie comes off as long and tedious and very nearly dull.
The film is based on the French film “Chloe In the Afternoon”” which was directed by Eric Rohmer. Somehow the conception of marital fidelity displayed in that film does not translate well into English. The French have their ideas of fidelity and Americans have theirs.
Rock plays Richard Cooper, a successful businessman. He is married to Brenda (Gina Torres) and they have two wonderful children. What they don’t have is sex. Brenda has a million excuses as to why she is not in the mood, and it is driving Richard crazy.
One day Richard is at work in the City and Nikki Tru (Kerry Washington) drops by his office for a visit. She used to date a friend of Richard’s and she needs a recommendation for a job. They chat a while and then she leaves, but not for long. She is back the next day for another favor, and then she sees him again and again.
Nikki thinks Richard is tired of his marriage and thinks she is just the girl to help him out of it. She uses each and every one of her seductive powers to convince him to leave his wife and spend time with her.
In addition to not being funny, Chris Rock isn’t a very entertaining actor. Or maybe he just didn’t have a very good director. Gina Torres is also flat in her portrayal of the unappealing wife. But Washington smolders as the seductress. She looks great and she has a definitely hot persona on display.
Steve Buscemi and Edward Hermann are wasted in nothing supporting roles. It is a shame so much talent was assembled and so little was done with it.
The movie is rated R for profanity.
It is a shame that “I Think I Love My Wife” is such a failure. The talent is there but it just doesn’t come across. The jokes are flat and the performances are lackluster – except for Washington. It is like she is performing in a movie that is distinct from the one the others are in.
I scored “I think I Love My Wife” a cheating 3 out of 10.
