Movie Review: 'The Wife'

The phone call from Sweden arrives in the middle of the night. Joe (Jonathan Pryce) and Joan (Glenn Close) Castleman are snuggled in their bed when they are awakened by the ringing; Joe answers.

The voice from Stockholm asks to speak with Joe Castleman. “This is he,” replies Joe. “I’m calling from the Nobel Prize Committee, it is an honor to inform you that you will receive the Nobel Prize in Literature at the awards ceremony in Stockholm this winter. Our warmest and most sincere congratulations to you, Mr. Castleman. Your fine body of work has made a great contribution to world literature.”

A startled Joe asks his wife “is this some kind of a big fat joke?” She replies,”no your writing is finally being recognized for its greatness.” Her reply is stated with her usual placid expression and, slightly detached look in her eyes.

Nathaniel Bone (Christian Slater) “slithers” down the aisle of the Concorde en route to Europe, pauses where Joe and Joan are sitting and introduces himself. He proudly informs them that he has been engaged to write Joe’s biography and is traveling to Sweden to document the Nobel prize event. He has done considerable research on them both, including their personal and professional lives.

Joe is incensed and demands that Nathaniel leave them alone and, no, he will not agree to be interviewed by him either in Sweden or the US. Joan’s calm demeanor and far off expression do not reveal what she thinks; instead she wishes Nathaniel well with his book and his visit to Stockholm.

By chance (?) Nathaniel and Joan meet in the hotel lobby as she is on her way out for some sightseeing. He suggests they have a drink instead –she agrees. It is commonly known that Joe was one of Joan’s creative writing teachers at Smith College. During their conversation, Nathaniel appears anxious to mention the similarity to her own early works and that of Joe’s. She smiles; her eyes reveal nothing.

At the awards ceremony, Joan appears to have changed, she is her same elegant, well- dressed self, but something is totally different. Apparently she has had enough and after the presentation of Joe’s award, she excuses her self and leaves the dinner/ceremony. It’s over. Time to pack up and head home to the cozy, waterfront home they and their two children have shared for so many years.

Sitting on the Concorde headed west, Joan opens the notebook sitting on her lap and turns to a blank page. She lovingly caresses the empty page. Gazing upward into the distance, her look is one of a promising future and there is new sparkle in her eyes. She affectionately regards the blank page.

Directed by Bjorn Bunge (Credits: Daybreak, Mouth to Mouth) this movie runs 100 minutes and is a “should see” production.

johan@beachcomber.news