The Wife

[BigGreenOlives]

Went to see this tonight, we all enjoyed it (3 women each married over 20 years). I had read comments that Glenn Close & Jonathan Pryce were too old for their characters & when you do the maths they definitely are but it didn’t really matter.

Fun to see Max Irons & Harry Lloyd in something, I must look up who played the young Joan and find out what else she’s been in.

[BigGreenOlives]

I’ve done my research & discovered that Annie Starke, who plays the young Joan is in fact Glenn Close’s daughter. I wish I’d known before I’d seen the film.

[MsOliphant]

Yeah I just found that out too OP!

Didn’t like the casting for the younger Joe very much.

I liked it. Funny and didn’t drag itself out.

[DawnFrenchKiss]

I thought this was a great film. Want to rewatch knowing what I know now! Glenn close was brilliant. Remembering scenes from the beginning ... Her face, his comments... Excellent stuff

[MsOliphant]

I liked the jumping on the bed bit.

‘I won the Nobel prize!!’

Then flashback to earlier life later in film;

‘WE got published!’

[BigGreenOlives]

Oh yes MsOliphant that was very telling wasn’t it.

What happened to his older son? The one she babysat when he was married to Carol? Must dig the book out from under my bed & read it again.

[MsOliphant]

Older daughter, not son- Fanny. Joan inferred they were estranged from her when she was talking to the biographer but that they realky regret ‘that part of their lives’

[SavageBeauty73]

I thought Glenn Close was amazing. I thought her daughter was great.

Vile husband. He made me angry. Narcissistic wanker.

[SavageBeauty73]

But she was complicit in the deception and enabling his bad behaviour. I kept thinking if she was on the relationships board she would be advised to read 'Codependent No More'!

[Babymamamama]

She definitely needed some Mumsnet input. I found it so frustrating to watch. I wanted to scream at her stop being the dutiful wife. VI did wonder what exactly she was planning to reveal to her son at the end when she said to him on the plane she would explain everything, having only just threatened to ruin that journalist if he exposed the truth.

[HollowTalk]

I saw this the other day and really enjoyed it. I have a friend whose husband is well known within his creative field and, though she doesn't help him in his art, I could definitely see her in the Glenn Close character.

There were a few things I would have changed. One is that the actors were too old. The GC character would've been born in 1940, so in 1992 - when the film was set - she would have been 52. Same goes for Jonathan Pryce. They are around 70.

Secondly, anyone born in 1940 would've gone through feminism in the 60s and 70s. This was the point where she was writing her husband's books. I think if it had been set in the 19th century, this would've been more fitting, but not in the 60s onwards.

But I did enjoy it. I thought she was fantastic.

[InfiniteVariety]

I enjoyed this too. I heard Glenn Close say in an interview that they could not find an American actor willing to take on the Joe Castleman role because the film's title clearly indicates the main character is Joan