Fox Home Entertainment presents

I Think I Love My Wife (2007)

"Now, I'm sure I'd have a much rosier outlook on life if my wife and I actually had sex, but there always seems to be something wrong."- Richard Cooper (Chris Rock)

Stars: Chris Rock
Other Stars: Kerry Washington, Gina Torres, Steve Buscemi, Edward Hermann
Director: Chris Rock

MPAA Rating: R for (pervasive language and some sexual content)
Run Time: 01h:33m:35s
Release Date: 2007-08-07
Genre: comedy

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
A-	B+	A-	B	C+

 

DVD Review

Chris Rock is arguably the funniest, most talented comedian working today. His skills don't stop at his stand-up routine; he's proven himself an excellent writer and director as well. With a feature-directing gig under his belt (the ill-received Head of State), Rock goes behind the lens again for 2007's I Think I Love My Wife. It's based on Eric Rohmer's Chloe in the Afternoon, and Rock adds enough of his own unique touches to the tale to make it, at worst, a great life lesson for the married man.

Richard Cooper (Rock) is, on the surface, a happily married man, a highly paid investment banker who lives in a nice house with his wife, Brenda (Gina Torres), and their two kids. However, like many married couples, there isn't much going on in the bedroom other than sleeping. Richard's frustrations come to the forefront when he runs into a friend's ex-girlfriend, Nikki Tru (Kerry Washington). She's extremely sexy and beautiful, and Richard is instantly smitten, rekindling feelings he'd had for her years ago. With temptation now knocking him down on a daily basis, Richard must analyze his marriage before he makes a huge mistake.

Now, this is a film that just about any married man can relate to, whether they admit it or not, and so it's one that every one of them should see. I hate to go so far as to say a movie can single-handedly save a marriage, but in some instances, it's easy to see where Rock's tale could at least help some couples relate to one another a little better. Rock presents his views via comedy and realistic scenarios, however, so things never become moralistic or preachy.

Rock serves as narrator here, and happily keeps this device from being annoying. Unfortunately, however, there are some sequences that seem completely out of place within others. A scene where Richard complains about the breast size of a waitress seems extremely random, despite the undertones of infidelity. There's a running gag with a guy with headphones singing (and screaming expletives) out loud in an elevator that is slightly amusing—the first time. Another running gag centers on Michael Jackson, and also wears out its welcome quickly.

There are quite a few flashes of brilliance from Rock, including a hilarious argument about chicken that Richard starts as an excuse to storm off and meet Nikki. A drug- and alcohol-filled night out at a club features Rock's physical comedy skills. Also on hand, so to speak, is a great Viagra gag that's as scary as it is funny. Despite some unevenness, there's no denying that Rock knows how to entertain. In what could have been a one-note concept, he keeps things fresh and brisk throughout.

A few interesting cameos liven things up, including one by an ESPN personality that is completely unexpected. The regular cast does a fine job, highlighted by another great turn by Steve Buscemi, who plays a work associate who feels none of the guilt about adultery that Richard is flooded with. Torres does a nice job as the wife who isn't privy to Richard's misgivings, but Washington is at her best playing dangerously sexy as only she can. This strong group of performers help make this a much better effort from a filmmaker who's now showing just as much promise behind the camera as he's been showing for years in front of it.

Rating for Style: A-
Rating for Substance: B+

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.85:1 - Widescreen
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	yes

Image Transfer Review: Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, this transfer exhibits extremely detailed, sharp images that bask in the bright color palette Rock uses. Contrast and shadow levels are rendered well, while fleshtones are accurate throughout. Fortunately, there aren't any blemishes, such as dirt, grain, or color bleeding.

Image Transfer Grade: A-
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	Spanish	yes
Dolby Digital 5.1	English	yes

Audio Transfer Review: The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is about as dynamic as similar comedies get, with limited use of the surrounds. They do spring to life to accommodate the music, but nearly everything else stays up front. Crisp dialogue is a staple, and is well-integrated into the overall mix.

Audio Transfer Grade: B 

Disc Extras

Full Motion menu with music
Scene Access with 20 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English, Spanish, French with remote access
3 Other Trailer(s) featuring Roll Bounce, Brown Sugar, I, Robot/Man on Fire
1 Featurette(s)
1 Feature/Episode commentary by Chris Rock
Packaging: Keep Case
1 Disc
2-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single

Extras Review: A decent extras collection includes an audio commentary track by Chris Rock. He does a nice job dividing his time between being his usual funny self and discussing the details of his directing duties. In all, Rock is funny, as always, making this track well worth a listen.

I Do Love Making this Movie is a 10-minute piece that focuses on the making of the film. This is a pretty standard behind-the-scenes piece that does receive a boost thanks to Rock's presence.

A collection of Fox trailers and a few others extras announced were not made available at the time of thise review.

Extras Grade: C+
 

Final Comments

Unfortunately ignored in theaters early in 2007, Chris Rock's second directing job, I Think I Love My Wife, deserves a second chance on DVD. A nice blend of comedy and realistic marital issues, Rock's picture is as therapeutic as it is funny. Fox's DVD features strong audio and video presentations, as well as some extras that provide some nice behind-the-scenes insight.

Chuck Aliaga 2007-08-07