I’m Your Woman Movie Review

Opens in theaters Dec 11^th, and will be streaming on Amazon Prime Dec. 11th

“I’m Your Woman” takes you into a criminal world that you rarely see on screen – the ‘Domestic’ side of crime. That is to say, it follows the story of a meek and unassuming wife of a bad guy. She does not know anything at all about the activities of her husband. But when this perfect world is torn apart one night, she is unprepared for what is about to happen.

Jean (played by Rachel Brosnahan) is the quiet and naive wife. Her husband Eddie (played by Bill Heck) is a boisterous man, and he has been dealing with major criminal figures. But it is the mid-1970’s and the wife is meant to stay home and tend to the house. So she does not complain. But the benefits are good, since they have a large house and plenty of money. She does not even raise a scene when one day, he brings home a baby, and tells her “It’s all been handled”. She is confused. She cannot have children, and they have put aside any reason to get one. Or so she thought…

One day, Eddie tells her he will be going out and will back very late. His ‘friends’ were just over at the house, and they were planning something big. But in the late hours, one of Eddie’s friends comes banging on the door. Eddie will not be back, and Jean and baby need to get ready to go. But go where? Jean (and the audience) does not get an answer. Don’t worry, she is told – ‘Cal’ will take her away and see that they are all safe.

Cal (played by Arinzé Kene) is a tall and tough Black man. He is gentle, but stern, when she tells Jean that she cannot come back here any more. She and baby are taken to a small suburban house, and it is all prepared for her. It is stocked with some food and they buy her new clothes. Eddie’s friend had found a load of cash that Eddie had hidden away. That money will get Jean to a safe place. Cal leaves her and baby alone. She is warned – do not go out, and do not talk to anyone. Only call a certain number – in an emergency.

But a kindly older woman named Evelyn (played by Marceline Hugot) lives a couple doors door the street. She and Jean have a conversion, and it leads to dinner. But then that night, Jean finds that there are intruders in her new ‘safe house’. She makes an emergency phone call. She makes a dash out the back and over to Evelyn’s house. It is the only other place she knows.  But there are two thugs who have beaten the old woman, and they threaten Jean. They want to know the same thing that she does — “Where is Eddie”? But the emergency call has summoned Cal. Soon there are three dead bodies.

Jean is even more frightened and confused. She and baby are now being taken to an even more remote place. At a small cabin deep in the woods, Cal leaves a second time. But other people come there instead. It is Teri (played by Marsha Stephanie Blake) and her son and Art (played by Frankie Faison). Art is Cal’s father, and Teri is Cal’s wife. They do not have all the answers for Jean, but they tell her a little bit of the background story. Eddie has crossed some very powerful people, and they are out for his blood. They will settle for Jean’s…

Jean learns some ways to defend herself, like how to handle a gun. She might it some day. But after a few days, they still have not heard from Cal, or heard any news about Eddie. Teri decides that she will need to do a dangerous thing and go back to the city. Jean demands to go with her. They make to a swigging disco club, which acts as a front for an underworld character named ‘White Mike’ (played by James McMenamin). They are in a back room with a group of people when the disco is attacked by a rival gang. There is a huge shootout. Teri runs for it, and Jean makes her way out on her own.

Jean finds a ‘safe house’ she learned about from Teri. She finds that Teri is waiting there, and they hear from Cal. He is alive, so far, and they all meet so they can get back to the safety of the cabin. Jean has left her son there, and so has Teri. It is breaking Jean apart to know that she might compromise his safety. But before they get out of town, the thugs led by White Mike get on their tail. Jean has learned to lie and to shoot and become more independent. Will it be enough to save her life, and life of the baby?

“I’m Your Woman” is an interesting take on a crime drama, especially since it is told from an unusual point of view.  However, there are many periods within the movie where it just drags on and becomes somewhat dull. Rachel Brosnahan does a good job with the role, but her character does not have a lot of depth. Marsha Stephanie Blake is really good as Teri, and you wish more of story had been about her. Arinzé Kene (as cal) also makes a very distinct impression.

“I’m Your Woman” makes a good attempt to tell a rarely-told side of a story. But this side is not as interesting or as rich in detail as an examination of a “woman’s angle on crime” could be.

Opens in theaters Dec 11^th, and will be streaming on Amazon Prime Dec. 11th