The Wife review – Glenn Close in a class of her own

Close is superb as a long-suffering literary spouse whose marriage reaches crisis point when her husband wins a Nobel prize

Some of the very best screen performances only fully reveal themselves on second viewing. Take Glenn Close in The Wife, an intriguing (if occasionally contrived) tragicomic drama lifted shoulder high by the six-time Oscar nominee in one of her most deliciously complex roles. When it comes to portraying conflicting emotions, Close has always been in a class of her own, thanks to her kaleidoscopically expressive eyes and precise physical gestures. But rarely has her ability to tell two stories with a single look been more astutely employed than in this elegantly melancholy portrait of a marriage in crisis.

Close plays Joan Castleman, steadfast partner of celebrated author Joseph (Jonathan Pryce), whom we first meet on the eve of his Nobel prize win in 1992. When the early morning phone call comes, Joe insists that his wife pick up the extension to share the news of his victory. We watch her listening to the announcement in closeup, a shifting ocean of pride, regret, astonishment, and... could that be horror? Even when Joe gets her to jump up and down on the bed with him as he sings “I won the Nobel! I won the Nobel!” there’s something about her manner that evokes a silent scream.

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from Culture | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2zFzvZC