by Shane Conto
Have you gotten bit by the magical bug that is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel? Amazon found a winner in this great series and really found a winner in their star, Rachel Brosnahan. Amazon knows how great Brosnahan is and now they have her leading their latest feature film, I’m Your Woman. Brosnahan plays the wife of a man who has suspicious dealings that his wife isn’t even completely privy too. One day her husband brings a baby home and Brosnahan’s Jean is now a mother. Things go sideways when a job goes sideways leaving her alone and on the run. This sets the stage for the film as there are new roadblocks around every corner and consistent suspense and thrills.
Writer-Director Julia Hart brings her talents and steady hand from previous works like Fast Color and Stargirl to her new thriller.
I’m Your Woman relies heavily on its slow burning pace to really twist the knife of tension and suspense that drives the story. Hart has a strong handle on this tension as the film takes the audience on a roller-coaster ride of suspense. Are their points that might be too slow for some watching? Yes, but luckily Hart focuses those quitter moments on subtle character moments. The film has a great vintage look that really captures the period setting of the story. Hart creates a somber and tense tone that captures the spirit and uncertainty of the story as well. I’m Your Woman is certainly proof that Hart is continuing to grow and challenge herself as a director.
Hart flexes some serious creative muscles as well with this script full of surprises and tense set pieces.
The film begins with very little exposition as the audience is treated to quieter and more subtle moments that allow the audience figures things out on their own. The complex story also takes its time to full expose itself but it does it in an effective way. As each new layer and twist comes, the story becomes more meaningful and suspenseful. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat waiting for each new challenge to arrive as well as figuring out why this was all happening. This engrossing story with complex characters makes for a deeper and more meaning thriller. The film could have worked on its own with the intense sequences sprinkled throughout but the investment you make in the characters and story make I’m Your Woman even more effective. Does the film occasionally fall into the thriller trap of “oh here’s ANOTHER thing that can possibly get in their way”? It does but I got past it because of the impressive craft of direction.
Even with a strong script and talented direction, the real star of the film is…well the star of the film!
Rachel Brosnahan plays an extremely charismatic and hilarious character in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Brosnahan shows her range with I’m Your Woman as she plays a much more subdued and broken woman. Things seem to be fine on the surface at the start of the film, but Jean is a woman who is longing for something missing. You can see Brosnahan using her facial expressions and her body language to tell much more of the story than her delivery. In a film that does not focus on sprawling monologues and dialogue moments, Brosnahan delivers a strong physical performance.
In the quickly expanding world of streaming films, does I’m Your Woman have enough to stand out amongst the rest?
Even just the strong performance from Rachel Brosnahan alone would make this film worth watching as well as getting the awards buzz. Through the strong direction and writing of Julia Hart, this period thriller is a standout film for the rest of 2020. I’m Your Woman is one of the stronger crime thrillers in recent memory.
Grade: A-