The Rich Man's Wife

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.

Beautiful young Halle Berry (as Josie) is married to ultra-rich older PBC-TV network executive Christopher McDonald (as Tony Potenza). Her job is to look beautiful and dress sexy. His job is to review TV pilots and the fall line-up. They love each other, really, but each are having extracurricular sex. She is getting hers from British restaurateur Clive Owen (as Jake Golden). He has various dalliances. Because Ms. Berry loves her husband, really, she is concerned with his drinking problem and preoccupation with work. Berry feels neglected and believes their marriage may be on the rocks...

To help repair the marriage, Berry arranges for the couple to spend some time in a small romantic cabin. Alas, her husband drinks too much and falls asleep. They give up on sex and he leaves. She decides to stay and check out local action in a dive bar. Arriving solo and looking to arouse, Berry has a drink and catches the eye of pool-playing Peter Greene (as Cole Wilson). Possibly turned-off by his creepy eye make-up, Berry leaves without a pick-up. Alas, her jeep dies. Stalled on a dark and rainy night, Berry is now a damsel in distress. No problem, as Mr. Greene happens by to drive her home...

Berry insists she loves her husband and declines Greene's sexual invitations. They portend rape, but Berry decided to date Greene anyway. They discuss her failing marriage. Berry was an innocent 17-year-old poor girl, swept off her feet. Greene believes Berry is asking him to kill her husband, but she disagrees. That's the set-up. "The Rich Man's Wife" begins with Berry's arrest. Then, she tells her story. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but can be followed. However, a final scene strains credulity to the breaking point. Cinematography (by Haskell Wexler) and support (like Clea Lewis) help.

***** The Rich Man's Wife (9/13/96) Amy Holden Jones ~ Halle Berry, Peter Greene, Clive Owen, Clea Lewis

This wasn't a bad film, it was entertaining, made you guess most of the time, and was pretty tense, its only flaw is some stupidity, and the jump scenes in it are predictable. Plus the film itself is predictable, but it is good, and it worth watching. Halle Berry is sensational as The Rich Man's Wife. The ending is especially satisfying, making your jaw drop to the ground. I give it a 7 out of 10. Rated R for strong violence and language.

This American thriller details the dying marriage of an older, wealthy studio executive named Tony Potenza (Christopher McDonald) and his young, trophy-wife, Josie Potenza (Halle Berry). Befittingly, this Rich Man's wife faces a conundrum when she becomes a suspect in the case of her husband's demise. Supporting characters include a suave restaurateur (Clive Owens), a psychopathic murderer (Peter Greene), and a bitter ex-wife (Clea Lewis) all with a story to tell. Berry's performance is a bit overdone and not one of my favorites of hers, whilst McDonald's performance seemed a bit lacklustre. Owen's seemed out of place at times, but this may be due to the lack of characterization in the film. However, the shining star of the film appeared to be Greene who played a convincing psychopath and evoked a feeling of danger. An honorable mention goes to Lewis, who added a bit of humor to the overall tone of the film.

The plot is an amalgamation of various tropes we have seen before in movies with an unassuming dialogue to accompany it. Technically, the cinematography was standard, but the plot left much to be desired. There were times when it seemed as if the story was thrown together in haste with little thought given to the decisions made by the characters.

Despite its flaws (and the truly unnecessary plot twist), the movie proved interesting enough to keep me entertained but not appealing enough to warrant a rewatch.

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