In an industry saturated with dumb, pointless comedies, it takes a very funny and intelligent movie to stand above the rest. Unfortunately, “I Think I Love My Wife” doesn’t fit the bill.
Writer, director and star Chris Rock plays Richard Cooper, a 30-something investment banker at a mid-sized firm. He has been married for seven years, has two children and a house, but is missing one thing: sex. All the passion in his marriage has vanished, and he is tired of being shot down with excuses like “my face hurts” and “I have a headache.”
When Nikki Tru (Kerry Washington), the ex-girlfriend of an old acquaintance, shows up in his office, his wandering eyes and mind begin to conjure up a life with her. She draws him in because she’s nothing like his wife and represents freedom, change, pure visceral sensation, and endless possibilities.
Cooper feels guilty about spending time with Nikki, sometimes neglecting his wife, Brenda (Gina Torres), and work in the process. What starts out as a simple lunch eventually leads to more, until he finds himself at nightclubs, missing important meetings and breaking into apartments.
His marriage begins to crumble under suspicion and his career spirals until he finds himself an inch from termination. When he can no longer flirt with marital and professional ruin, he is forced to examine what really matters.
The majority of the movie focuses on one central question; is the grass greener on the other side? Now, take that question, stretch it over 90 minutes, and you have “I Think I Love My Wife.”
The same pattern occurs repeatedly; temptation, hesitation, suspicious looks from co-workers, realization and ultimate decision. The movie never breaks from this mold, making all of the subsequent scenes predictable and boring.
This film could have been half as long without losing anything, except for Rock’s witty (and admittedly enjoyable) one-liners and overarching cultural commentary.
But the movie feels longwinded and the jokes, as good as they may be, simply cannot hold viewers’ attention. If this were purely comedy, it wouldn’t be an issue, but it often takes itself too seriously, trying to add awkward dramatic and thought-provoking elements that do not mix well with the type of humor.
Rock still has the ability to make us all laugh, but the jokes come with the price of shallowness. The story is forgettable and most of the acting simply average. Veteran Steve Buscemi offers some acting credibility with his womanizing, Viagra-popping, sleazebag co-worker who is never lacking advice. But his scenes are few and far between.
Rock fans will enjoy this movie, if not for the dialogue then for the writing. Be ready to laugh, but if you want something with meaning (or something that you’ll remember), look elsewhere.
