Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

I Think I Love My Wife

MPA Rating: R-Rating (MPA) for pervasive language and some sexual content.

Reviewed by: Chris Sosa
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Very Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Adults
Genre: Comedy, Remake
Length: 1 hr. 34 min.
Year of Release: 2007
USA Release: March 16, 2007
Copyright, Fox Searchlight Pictures Copyright, Fox Searchlight Pictures Copyright, Fox Searchlight Pictures Copyright, Fox Searchlight Pictures Copyright, Fox Searchlight Pictures Copyright, Fox Searchlight Pictures Copyright, Fox Searchlight Pictures Copyright, Fox Searchlight Pictures Copyright, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Relevant Issues
Copyright, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Is formalized marriage becoming obsolete? Answer
Many people are convinced that traditional marriages don’t work and that this practice should be abandoned. What does the Bible say about marriage?

How can I deal with temptations? Answer

Should I save sex for marriage? Answer

What are the consequences of sexual immorality? Answer

Sex, Love and Relationships
Learn how to make your love the best it can be. Christian answers to questions about sex, marriage, sexual addictions, and more. Valuable resources for Christian couples, singles and pastors.
Featuring Chris Rock, Kerry Washington, Gina Torres, Eliza Coupe, Cassandra Freeman
Director Chris Rock
Producer Adam Brightman, Lisa Stewart
Distributor Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures. Trademark logo.Fox Searchlight Pictures, a sister company of 20th Century Fox, a division of The Walt Disney Company

“In marriage no one can hear you scream.”

“I Think I Love My Wife” is Chris Rock’s ambitious attempt at directing a feature-length film, as his last try wasn’t a stunning success. As nearly anyone into comedy would know, Chris Rock is one of America’s most successful comedians. His candid dialogue subjects range from racism to parenting to politics. However, in this comedy-drama, he calms it down a bit to tell a story.

The story centers on a man named Richard Cooper (Chris Rock), a rather average business man who is starting to get a bit bored in his marriage. As he walks down the street, he envisions himself being propositioned by various kinds of women. And before he has time to figure out exactly what is making his marriage so mind-numbingly boring, a past friend named Nikki (Kerry Washington) drops back into his life, causing further turmoil in his unhappy marriage. Nikki comes to Richard’s office nearly every day, much to the dismay of Richard’s co-workers. As Richard sinks deeper and deeper into his just-nearly illicit relationship, he comes closer and closer to being faced with a choice that could affect the rest of his life.

Now for the content… this film is obviously relatively free from violence, aside from one brief scene. However, when it comes to sexual content, this film is saturated in it. It practically swims in sensuality. The world has never looked as immersed in sensuality as when seen through the eyes of Richard Cooper. Every woman becomes an object of lust, not only for Richard, but blatantly for the camera. Overtly-sensually clothed, and in some cases barely clad bodies are on display in nearly every scene. And sexual dialogue is beyond frank. Conversation involving Nikki would make most people blush had she been speaking to them. The way the characters speak in this film regarding sex is not even realistic, considering the characters’ age and life-situations (married, business people). While tame by Chris Rock standards, this will probably detract many from viewing the film.

Language is also tame by Chris Rock standards, but nevertheless, one will still lose count by the end of the movie. Anyone even slightly offended by repeated uses of very harsh language should probably not bother attempting to watch “I Think I Love My Wife.”

Spiritually speaking, this film is a mixed bag. Love is shown to be something that requires work and perseverance, rather than something just felt. This strongly echoes a Biblical sense of love (patient, kind, persevering, not easily angered, etc.). However, the movie’s viewpoint on women is a bit odd. Other reviewers have referred to its portrayal of women as misogynism, and I would have to agree, as women are portrayed as either vicious sex-kittens, or just… boring. And it’s only the married women that are boring. From a Christian perspective, Paul would’ve cringed to see the lusty vamp that is Nikki. That’s about all there is to say on the subject of morality in this film. The movie really leaves viewers scratching their heads as to what the moral actually was.

In the end, this movie is just average. While not the embarrassment of “Down to Earth,” “I Think I Love My Wife” won’t be considered the drama of the year. Chris Rock, while a brilliant (if vulgar) stand-up comedian, is a somewhat lacking actor. However, his part in this film was a large improvement over past efforts, possibly because some segments are only repeats of his stand-up special “Never Scared.” I was shocked to hear portions of this movie which were near-verbatim to his stand-up routine. Would original jokes really be too much to ask of America’s leading stand-up comedian? And aside from his recycled jokes, the rest of the movie really isn’t that funny. It’s actually a bit boring. For some reason, the audience never feels entirely involved in the film. It may be due, in part, to the narrative, as this somewhat distances the audience from the film. It also could be the scattered presentation that leaves the audience grasping as to what the focus of this movie is supposed to be. Or more likely, it could be the childish actions and dialogue of the film’s adult characters, which would leave any mature person wondering what was going on in the characters’ heads. I gave up on trying to figure it out, as there probably isn’t a good answer.

Anyone in the mood for an engaging comedy-drama should just stay at home, as they won’t find one here.

Violence: Moderate / Profanity: Extreme / Sex/Nudity: Heavy

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Negative—Brother’s and sister’s, if you really want to save 7-8 bucks, DON’T SEE THIS MOVIE! Pure filth. Some funny parts, but then it just gets nasty. I can’t count the number of times the F-word was mentioned. I felt so bad after seeing it, that on the way home from the theater that I had to ask God for forgivenesses on behalf of me and my wife for seeing it.
My Ratings: Very Offensive / 4
Tom Winters, age 27
Positive—The film is offensive because of the overtly sexual content and repeated use of profanity. All that was not necessary. It should have been done as in the sixties, a comedy about marriage and fidelity without dirt. It reminded me of a movie I once saw with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. The movie’s message about marriage and the temptation of married men I thought was honest and funny. The take on marriage and family live was positive. Nor did I find the movie sexist. Married women, just like married men, do become limited in certain ways. We are all limited by our choices. The portrayal of the “temptress” was also accurate. I know women like that, casual about sex, not very moral in their views in any area of life. The movie was amusing and good light entertainment, or it would have been if the profanity had been taken out.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Minda, age 27