The Artist's Wife

Name: The Artist's Wife
Genre: Drama
Released: September 25, 2020
Duration: 94 min
Rating: 53
Cast: Alexandre Bagot, Avan Jogia, Bruce Dern, Caryn West, Catherine Curtin

2020

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

No score yet

tbd

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

tbd	Your Score
tbd	User Score No score yet

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

The Artist's Wife (Clean Trailer)

Now Playing: The Artist's Wife (Clean Trailer)

Movie Details & Credits

Strand Releasing | Release Date: September 25, 2020 | R

Starring: Alexandre Bagot, Avan Jogia, Bruce Dern, Caryn West, Catherine Curtin, Elise Santora, Juliet Rylance, Lena Olin, Lukas Hassel, Meadow Nguy, Peter Albrink, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Stefanie Powers, Tonya Pinkins

Summary: Claire (Lena Olin) lives a quiet domestic life in the Hamptons as the wife of celebrated artist Richard Smythson (Bruce Dern). Once a promising painter herself, Claire now lives in the shadow of her husband’s illustrious career. While preparing work for his final show, Richard’s moods become increasingly erratic, and he is diagnosed withClaire (Lena Olin) lives a quiet domestic life in the Hamptons as the wife of celebrated artist Richard Smythson (Bruce Dern). Once a promising painter herself, Claire now lives in the shadow of her husband’s illustrious career. While preparing work for his final show, Richard’s moods become increasingly erratic, and he is diagnosed with dementia. As his memory and behavior deteriorate, she shields his condition from the art community while trying to reconnect him with his estranged daughter and grandson from a previous marriage. Challenged by the loss of her world as she knew it, Claire must now decide whether to stand with Richard on the sidelines or step into the spotlight herself.… Expand

Director: Tom Dolby

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 94 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Mick LaSalle

Sep 24, 2020

Dolby provides Dern with a chance to be cranky and vicious, but what else is new? The revelation here is Lena Olin, who gets her best role in years as the artist’s second wife, Claire, an artist in her own right who gave it all up to make a home with and for a demanding husband. Read full review

Joe Leydon

Sep 25, 2020

It’s entirely possible that The Artist’s Wife would have hit the same pitch-perfect notes had it been set during a long hot summer. But the wintery ambiance enhanced by Ryan Earl Parker’s evocative cinematography feels altogether appropriate for a story about one life winding down, and another on the verge of a restorative spring. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Sep 22, 2020

This is more worth seeing for Olin and Dern’s tetchy and touching interactions, portraying a marriage of devotion and decay. Every filmmaker who preaches that “Casting is everything,” or 90 percent of everything, isn’t exaggerating. The Artist’s Wife proves it. Read full review

Anthony Lane

Sep 21, 2020

If only the style of The Artist’s Wife could scald with equal intent. Alas, it opts for plangency, with a musical score applied like a gentle balm, and a plot that hungers for healing—absurdly so, given the incurable nature of Richard’s plight. Read full review

Johnny Oleksinski

Sep 24, 2020

The Artist’s Wife can, at times, come off as a collage of other, better movies. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Glenn Kenny

Sep 25, 2020

The dénouement of The Artist’s Wife, wasting compassion on a character who has earned only the minimum, winds up fully validating an ideology and morality that is complicit in women’s oppression. Read full review

Jeannette Catsoulis

Sep 24, 2020

The best, perhaps the only reason to see The Artist’s Wife is Lena Olin, an actor incapable of giving a so-so performance. Read full review

SEE ALL 12 REVIEWS

User Score

Write a Review

tbd

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

User Reviews

Brent_Marchant

Nov 11, 2020

A moving, if sometimes slightly disjointed look at the life of a wife who gave up her pursuit to be an artist to support the painting career of her talented, famous and affluent but capricious and egotistical husband, a challenge made all the more difficult by the onset of Alzheimer'sA moving, if sometimes slightly disjointed look at the life of a wife who gave up her pursuit to be an artist to support the painting career of her talented, famous and affluent but capricious and egotistical husband, a challenge made all the more difficult by the onset of Alzheimer's disease, making him more volatile and unpredictable than ever. The dynamics of a woman torn between wanting to support her beloved and pull away to attend to her own needs are examined in multiple permutations, presenting a profile of a character frustrated while attempting to be conciliatory in multiple regards. The superb lead performances by Lena Olin and Bruce Dern, backed by a fine supporting cast, really make this picture, helping it shine even when its sometimes-meandering narrative lets them down. A worthwhile candidate for awards season, especially in the acting categories.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SEE ALL 1 REVIEWS