The Rich Man's Wife

The Rich Man's wife is an unabashedly trashy little Hitchcockian thriller with a young Halle Berry caught in a very dangerous situation that has spun wildly out of control. She discovers that her unpleasant and very wealthy husband (Christopher McDonald) has a hell of a prenuptial agreement looming over her. Over drinks with intense stranger Cole Wilson (Peter Greene), she offhandedly jokes that she should arrange his murder to speed up the process. Wilson turns out to be a grade A maniac and takes her comments seriously, setting forth some nasty events into motion that she never planned on. Berry is also getting side action from suave restauranteer Clive Owen, who ends up in way over his head trying to deal with murderous, unhinged Wilson who is attempting to frame Berry for her husband's death and generally causing problems for everyone. Berry is solid, Owen is restrained in an early career appearance. It's Greene however who earns brownie points, as he usually does. He makes Cole a fun psychopath who relishes in ruining lives and terrorizing people. A last minute, ludicrous and laughable twist ending solidifies the tawdry 90's vibe, showcasing amoral lunatics out to kill each other and pervert the American Dream. Standard thriller material, worth a watch simply to raise awareness of its existence, since it seems to have been buried in the two decades of time since its release.

I watched this movie around 3 o'clock in the morning and I wasnt really impressed.

First of all, How can you trust a guy like Peter Greene(Cole Wilson)?

This film was predictable in many parts and the lighting was really bad.However,Halle Berry was very pretty in this movie and yes she actually does cry.

Just dont make the same mistake I did and stay up til' 3 o'clock in the morning.But what the heck I was bored.

To wrap this comment up I give it a 6/10 *

An early movie by three lead actors who would go on to super-stardom, well Peter Green is not a superstar but makes a super villain. This is a slightly above average movie pastime that is not bad, but is bogged down by some genre conventions that are, well, conventional. The twist ending was completely unnecessary and for that indulgence it can be faulted.

The supporting cast is good and the cinematography is excellent. There is one scene that stands out (in the park) for all those movie fans that recognize that hitting a moving target with a handgun is not as easy as it looks in most Hollywood products.

The camera loves Halle Berry and here she displays some acting chops that would prove that she was not just another (very) pretty girl. So this is an average to slightly above average Neo-Noir that can be enjoyed for the best of it.

just saw this movie today. Caught my attention due mainly to the supreme creepiness of the actor who played Cole. However, it never ceases to amaze me when continuity directors completely miss the boat when it comes to the number of shots being fired in any given scene. The little pistol in this flick holds a 6 round clip yet time after time they where pumping away like there was an endless supply of bullets. OK, I might have OCD, but I usually count the shots fired in a pick just to see how serious the filmmakers are about making things realistic. Obviously, they were far too consumed with making the villain a first class creep-they did an excellent job but missed the target with the shoot-em-ups

It would appear that the writers of this rather muddled movie were in a big rush to get the script in. They borrowed elements of a number of movies, including the two in my summary, patched them together and voila. Instant movie.

Don't get me wrong, this movie isn't a total loss. If you just consider the acting, we have two standouts. Peter Greene as one of the vilest villains I've seen in a while, and Clea Lewis as the greedy, vindictive wife of the best friend.

Let's not forget Halle Berry. No, let's not. Her acting is always credible, even when she's forced to recite lines like these. And I can assure you she is as adorable in person as she is on screen. I worked with her on a mini-series called "The Wedding" some years ago. She was pleasant, professional, cheerful, friendly, and beautiful. Gee, I almost sound like I'm gushing, but I have worked a lot of movies with a lot of actors, and she really did stand out.

All in all, I don't think you can lose by spending a little time with this movie, but I have to warn you: There are more plot holes in it than there are pot holes in Jersey City.