Chris Rock thinks he loves his wife. To top that, he also has the delusion that he has what it takes to make his fans love him for more than just being a comedian. He is under the impression that he is also a good writer and director – a thought that has him headed for disaster.
That potential disaster is a little film called I Think I Love My Wife, which coincidentally was written, directed by, and stars the iconic comedian as a bored married man who is no longer intimately acquainted with his wife and it is starting to get to him. Rock plays Richard Cooper, a successful financial broker with a wife (Gina Torres), two lovely children, and all the problems that every married man is faced with – a monotonous routine and worst of all, no sex. The no sex part is something that Richard was learning to deal with, that is until the day that Nikki (Kerry Washington) popped into his life.
The old flame of a close friend, Nikki comes to Richard with the need for a job reference and a penchant for being a home wrecker. She is outgoing, uninhibited, and sexy from head to toe. And on top of that she begins to show some interest in Richard, something that is the ultimate fantasy of any bored married man. Nikki’s only problem is that she is a bit over-the-top with her desire for Richard, to the point where you begin to remember that she is a fictional character – because we all know that in real life, hot young women are just not that into stale husband-types.
This over-the-top characterization, in conjunction with Chris Rock’s exceedingly energetic brand of comedy creates a movie that plays out more like campy sitcom than a silver screen comedy. That makes sense considering that the two guys who wrote it, Chris Rock and Louis C.K., are both knee-deep in their own popular television sitcoms.
Article comments
1 - Constance
Ah, man. I was hoping this movie would be great. Oh well, now I have an excuse to go see Premonition.
2 - Neil Miller
Constance -- If you think I messed up your plans for this film, don't read my Premonition review (which should be up later today). Trust me.
3 - Belle
I was looking forward to this movie, as well. My hope is that your young age prevented you from fully appreciating the film's content. However, I doubt it. It's probably just not that good.
4 - Lisa McKay
Well, A.O. Scott of the New York Times liked it very much -- so hopefully those of you who were looking forward to it will see it and judge for yourselves. Remember that a review is one person's reasoned opinion about something -- your mileage may vary!
5 - Steve C.
I still want to see it, if only to see what Rock's done with the framework he's unexpectedly given himself -- unmentioned here is the fact that this film is a remake of Eric Rohmer's Chloe in the Afternoon. There, the premise worked remarkably well; the inclusion of Viagra jokes here makes me wary, but I'm trying to remain optimistic.
Also, don't you go slagging Head of State now...