Claire Smythson, wife of the renowned abstract artist Richard Smythson, is plunged into a late-life crisis when her husband is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and is in danger of not completing the paintings for his final show.
Pam says: There’s a reason we all know the old adage, “Behind every great man is a great woman,” but perhaps it truly means is that the woman is ignored or taken for granted. This aspect couldn’t have been more eloquently and beautifully depicted than it is in “The Artist’s Wife.”
Claire (Lena Olin) is an artist in her own right but buried this attribute decades ago in order to support Richard (Bruce Dern), her husband, as he gains accolades and fame as a brilliant artist. Sacrifices abound, as we soon see, with Richard’s diagnosis of dementia. Ever the caregiver, as women typically are, Claire races to help mend the relationship between Richard and his estranged daughter before it’s too late.
This is an incredibly complicated film, layered with relationship issues that are cutting, influenced by time, prior decisions, and now a degenerative cognitive disease. We see the progression through Claire’s eyes and how it effects not just Richard, but also her. In his decline, there is an incredible awakening for Claire as her art and her voice begins to be seen and heard again.
Olin is captivatingly exquisite in this evocative role. She deftly conveys a longing for life, love, and a sense of purpose in a world where she isn’t “busy” anymore. The emotional pain rises ever so subtly to the surface, layered between her beauty and sexuality which takes your breath away. We not only witness her disappointment and her love as she constantly smooths over all the rough edges and bumps in the road, we feel them. The sacrifices, intentionally and unwittingly have paved her path, but to what end?
The similarities between this film and “The Wife” from a few years ago is evident, calling attention to the fact that this theme is a common one from an era not so long ago. The emotional depth, exquisite character development among the relationships, however, makes it a captivating tale of a wife’s love.
4/4 Stars
Chuck says:
Tom Dolby’s “The Artist’s Wife” is a movie featuring two character studies -one wholly complete and fully realized, the other done in broad strokes and woefully lacking. Be that as it may, the film is still well-worth watching thanks to a powerhouse performance from Lena Olin in the titular role, a woman who tragically put her own interests aside to support her husband, a volatile genius who suffers no fools and is now paying a hefty price for alienating those who loved him, as he finds his grasp of reality slowly slipping away.
Richard Smythson (Bruce Dern) may be in his twilight years but he still commands a great deal of respect in the art world. A respected teacher at a New York City university, he is working on a variety of paintings for an upcoming show, having not had an exhibition for years. Anticipation is high, yet his wife Claire (Olin) feels something is amiss. She can see her husband’s work is not up to par, his process is unusually slow and he’s experiencing serious memory lapses. Ill-mannered and short-tempered, his behavior can no longer be brushed aside as the eccentricities of an artistic genius. Claire knows something is seriously wrong and is at odds over what to do about it.
As she attempts come to terms with all of this, Claire reaches out to her husband’s estranged daughter (Juliet Rylance) who hope some sort of reconciliation can be brokered before Smythson’s memory leaves him completely. While this is a logical narrative extension, the writing isn’t nearly as sharp or the situations as well thought out as the moments between Richard and Claire. There’s a tacked on, convenient feel this subplot that comes perilously close to feeling a bit contrived and insincere.
Thankfully, the bulk of the movie is devoted to Claire and her slow reemergence as an artist in her own right as well as a woman with remarkable strength. Olin dominates each scene she’s in, providing a portrait of a woman who initially resists the new role being thrust upon her, only to realize a path to self-actualization through it. The actress runs the emotional gamut, giving a turn of small adjustments throughout that results in our seeing Claire transform before our eyes in a logical, sincere manner. There are no grand, scene-rending scenes but a great film performance in which the sum of Olin’s small moments result in a wholly realized, genuine character portrait.
Would that Dern’s role was as fully written. As the cranky, cantankerous artist, this is a role the actor can do in his sleep. He does a fine job here but is capable of much more, while the story itself feels uneven because we only see one side of Richard. Through flashbacks, anecdotes or some other device we need to get a glimpse of the charismatic, talented man he once was in order to fully understand why Claire has endured him for all of these years and continues to do so. Her acts seem questionable without this and the movie itself is less interesting with only one dynamic character.
“The Artist’s Wife” is not without similarities to the 2017 Glenn Close-Jonathan Pryce vehicle “The Wife.” Yet, the elegiac tone Dolby adapts is markedly different, lending a melancholy but ultimately hopeful feel to the story. And though the script is spotty – a romantic dalliance Claire has is ill-advised – Olin’s dynamic performance is worth the price of admission. Her work is some of the best to be seen on screen this year and here’s hoping an audience will discover this film to witness it.
3 Stars
