Jean (Rachel Brosnahan) is a young mother with an infant son whose husband does some rather…unsavory things to make a living. She is kept in the dark as to his dealings and is fine with that, as long as she is supported and cared for. One night, her husband goes out to do a job and does not return. In fact, a friend of her husband's puts her up in a house that was set aside for a situation such as this, and then leaves her alone. For days on end, it is just her and baby Harry. And then bad guys come calling, a neighbor gets involved and Jean and Harry must run again. Another friend of her husband's, Cal (Arinze Kene), hides them in a cabin deep in the woods, Jean has to find the resources within herself not to go crazy, and soon Cal’s family arrive to keep her company. But the bad men are still looking, and Jean goes on a journey of discovery, learning truths about her husband and herself. The only question is: will she survive and protect Harry, or will things fall completely apart?
I’m Your Woman is a tough, smart little movie. It’s quiet and brooding, with punctuations of horrific violence and terror. It is the story of Jean, a willfully ignorant woman, innocent in her own way, finding out who she really is, as well as uncomfortable and damning truths about the life she chose and the consequences she decided to ignore. It’s all coming home to roost now, and what she does to deal with it has ramifications not only for herself and her son, but for Cal’s family, as well. The acting is top-notch from all comers, but Brosnahan is the star of the movie. Her quiet confusion, pain, fear, and ultimate resolve are conveyed with subtle glances, teary eyes, and gritted teeth. Jean is a woman who is scared and lonely and lost, with the responsibility of a child she isn’t very well-equipped to take care of. Yet she must rise not only to that occasion, but also to the looming threat that hovers over her like dark storm cloud ready to burst. Kene is also excellent in his role. He’s quiet and reserved and there is a silent sense of wonder when he observes some of the actions Jean takes throughout the narrative. Here is a man steeped in crime and survival, and he is shocked to be around someone so innocent. And the action, when it comes, it pretty rugged. There’s not a ton of blood, but the violence does not flinch.
If you’re in the mood for a quiet little crime drama, that’s full of introspection and mystery-solving, this one is right up your alley. Set in the 70s, it mimics the feel of crime films from that era, without ever once copying them. This one stands alongside films like Charley Varrick and other classics of that era. A compelling and richly layered film, full of great performances and a few exceptionally fine set-pieces, I’m Your Woman delivers a moody crime story, the kind that they don’t really make anymore.
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