Beyond the Rhetoric

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Chris Rock has grown up, nor would I say that he is now fully ensconced in the world of family-friendly movies, but one of his latest efforts — I Think I Love My Wife — is starting to move in that direction.

There are moments that are a little rude and occasions that could be considered slightly crude, but given that the character that Chris Rock plays is a semi-bored, semi-miserable husband of several years with two young children under his belt, you could say that he is starting to move away from just being loud and abrasive. I guess “Everybody Hates Chris” started that more mainstream trend.

The plot in I Think I Love My Wife is pretty standard. The husband played by Chris Rock has his fidelity put to the test when an extremely attractive friend from the past suddenly re-emerges in his life, and at the same time, he hasn’t had any sex with his wife for an eternity. His life is boring and he seeks excitement. He is enraptured by the candidness and spontaneity of his old friend and, did I mention that she’s ridiculously hot? It also doesn’t help matters she’s a super seductress, winding Chris around her little finger.

It gets pretty predictable — I’m sure you can figure out how things end — and the progression in the storyline isn’t all that engaging, but the brief moments of hilarity make this movie worth a rental. Steve Buscemi is pretty amusing in his role as Chris Rock’s unfaithful co-worker.

Don’t expect anything too groundbreaking in I Think I Love My Wife, but don’t expect to be terribly disappointed either. If you enjoy Chris Rock’s style of comedy, you’ll probably find enough to enjoy here.

3.5 stars out of 5

Filed under Arts and Entertainment.