Joseph Castleman just won the Nobel Prize for Literature. He and his wife Joan go to Stockholm to receive the coveted prize. There, as Joseph's body of literary work was being extolled and recognized, Joan looked back on her own life and realized just how much of her talent, ambition and dignity she had sacrificed in order for the man she loved to reach this shining moment.
This film was a comeback showcase of sorts for Ms. Glenn Close whose uniquely excellent acting style had been sorely missed on the big screen. She did have a number film roles since her last Oscar Best Actress nomination in 2012, but none of these were as majorly vital a showcase for her talent as this one as Joan Castleman in "The Wife." In fact, this performance may just earn her another Oscar nomination, if not the big prize itself, finally. As shown in her previously nominated roles in "Dangerous Liaisons" (1987) and "Albert Nobbs" (2011), Ms. Close is truly a master of restrained acting.
Jonathan Pryce matched Close closely in the acting department. Their screen partnership was very tight, but he knew well not to steal her thunder. He did very well in slowly revealing his character's inner flaws. His acting was also very subtle and this made matters feel more insidious. It is obvious he loved his wife very much, but you sort of felt there was something wrong and you just cannot put your finger exactly on what it was.
Christian Slater played Nathan Bone, an author who wanted to write Castleman's biography but had been outright rejected several times. He persisted in his insistence and stirred the hornet's nest instead. Max Irons played David Castleman, Joseph and Joan's son who was also a writer. He longed for his father's approval in his craft but felt that he was never getiing any. Elizabeth McGovern played Elaine Mozell, a poet whose confession about her experience as a female writer in a man's world marked a turning point in Joan's life.
At first glance, it would seem that it would just be another one of those films about an ignored or unappreciated wife. But Joan Castleman's sense of frustration and repressed despair came from a much deeper place. This wife completely subsumed her own potentials and instead diverted them to support her husband -- a lifelong sacrifice more than what an ordinary wife could give. Close captured all of Joan's internal turmoil and projected it powerfully on the big screen with remarkably minimal acting effort. 8/10.
No comments:
Post a Comment