What it’s about
When insurance executive Charles Desvalles (Bouquet) begins to suspect his wife Helene (Audran) is cheating on him, he hires a private detective to trail her, and soon locates Helene’s lover, a writer named Victor Pegala (Maurice Ronet). Confronting Victor, Charles seems intent on retaining his composure, but snaps instead, with altogether surprising results.
Why we love it
Murder maestro Chabrol is one of the heralded French New Wave directors whose intelligent twists on genre (thrillers are his domain) ushered in an exciting new era in filmmaking. In “Wife,” he offers a fresh take on the standard crime-of-passion tale, with the intense Bouquet playing a wealthy cuckold and Audran, Chabrol’s own beautiful spouse, lending her ironic talents to the role of bored trophy wife. Chabrol’s graceful camerawork, his sardonic attitude toward the nouveau riche, and a disquieting resolution will make you faithful to this “Wife.” (Note: Divorce yourself from Adrian Lyne’s wan 2002 remake.)
Stephane Audran, Michel Bouquet Claude Chabrol