I’m Your Woman
DECEMBER 4th, 2020
MOVIE: I’M YOUR WOMAN
STARRING: RACHEL BROSNAHAN, MARSHA STEPHANIE BLAKE, ARINZE KENE, FRANKIE FAISON
DIRECTED BY: JULIA HART
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
There are two movies in 2020 that capture a unique experience that only applies to women, no matter the setting, the time, or the place. Those two movies are Promising Young Woman and Julia Hart’s I’m Your Woman. The former is going to light a fire under the asses of audiences with a blow torch. As for the movie this review is about, it’s the yang to the ying of Promising Young Woman. I’m Your Woman is about a retreating form of survival, that’s until you can’t run anymore. Not because the lead character Jean (Rachel Brosnahan) isn’t capable of holding her own, that’s proved early on, but it becomes a series of tense moments, created by a man she loved, and resulting in the possibility of danger hitting at any moment. This becomes an up and down thriller, set in the 1970’s, constantly in motion, with hitmen on the hunt for a woman and her baby. The tension is palpable in I’m Your Woman, guided by the steel reserve of Rachel Brosnahan, and the steady direction of Julia Hart. I’m Your Woman is calculated and cool.
The biggest positive about I’m Your Woman is the look of it all. The sets and costumes create an authenticity, while the cast and cinematography bring it all together. Early scenes reveal that Jean is not exactly sure that she wants to be the cozy stay at home wife, especially since it’s been hard for her to conceive a child, and she can only cook eggs right. She’s not fitting into the mold that society is asking her to be, but Eddie (Bill Heck) comes home one day and just hands Jean a baby. She decides to name him Harry, but motherhood has no time to settle in, when someone knocks on the door late at night, a man named Cal (Arinze Kene) forces Jean to get away because Eddie is in trouble and they are coming after her.
As far as drama goes, I’m Your Woman takes a bit of patience. There’s a lot of sitting around, with Cal and her escaping to a safe house, a hotel, and then a secret cabin in the woods. Along the way we get to see their conversations and that’s when I’m Your Woman hums. Both Brosnahan and Kene have a chemistry that shines, giving off vibes of an unpredictable buddy picture, such as Lethal Weapon, 48 Hours or Midnight Run. Director Julia Hart, who co-wrote it with Jordan Horowitz, has an excellent ability to keep the audience guessing. There are moments where goons show up, people get shot, and other folks get involved when they shouldn’t have. A neighbor of Jean’s seems a bit old to be a hired killer, but that’s not outside the realm of possibility.
The other fantastic part about I’m Your Woman is the set pieces. When Cal’s wife Teri (Marsha Stephanie Blake) arrives at the cabin, the connection shifts from a woman that trusts in her new guide, to the bonding relationship of two women scorned by ruthless men. The bond between the two ladies leads to a set-piece at a nightclub, involving Jean stuck in a phone booth while bullets rain upon all inside. Moments such as that become possible because of the cinematography by Bryce Fortner. It’s a master class in the use of golden lighting for a 70’s shine, holding the camera on a shot to reveal placement of dead bodies, and sticking us next to our hero as the chaos swirls around.
What I’m Your Woman amounts to is a movie that’s cool. In many respects it’s a sister movie to something like The Nice Guys, where the characters are stylish while being shot at, and a mixture of skills and luck. And even though that all might sound like this is a duo picture, the praise and main focus belongs to Brosnahan. This is her show, where she’s not overdoing things, staying tight in the face with fear, trusting a few, but sleeping with one eye open. It’s ultimately about a woman finding herself, but doing so in the most unconventional of ways. Trust me when I say, this is one bad ass mother.
I’M YOUR WOMAN PREMIERES THIS WEEKEND DECEMBER 4TH ON AMAZON PRIME
3 ½ STARS
Written by: Leo Brady
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