It does not matter the vocation. Partners have made sacrifices for their spouses as dreams were pursued and fulfilled. The fact that the subject of The Artist’s Wife is a painter and that his wife was also an artist before they got married makes this look at a marriage particularly cerebral and searingly raw at times. Layer in that the renowned artist, Richard Smythson (Bruce Dern), has just discovered he has Alzheimer’s disease and has a daughter whose relationship is strained to put it mildly, and writer-director Tom Dolby has the most fascinating of premises.
The titular character is Claire Smythson. As embodied by Lena Olin, it is a masterful portrait of a woman who sacrificed everything to support her husband. Given the recent health news, the scope of that assistance is about to gravely expand. Meanwhile lurking on the professional horizon is the commitment that Richard has made for one final show of his work.
They say that the cinematic arts is a director’s medium. That is absolutely true, especially in a film such as this where the writer (who co-wrote the script with Nicole Brending and Abdi Nazemian) and helmer are one and the same. But if one looks closely, The Artist’s Wife is firmly an actor’s movie. It provides a landscape where all of the performers get a chance to shine. Each gets their moment in the sun. Of course, Dern and Olin rule the roost here, but the supporting ensemble is as electric as those on the marquee (so to speak!).
Dern does curmudgeon with the best of his generation. His turn in 2013’s Nebraska showed that he could corner the market if he so chose, and Oscar responded with a Best Actor nomination. As Richard, the legendary actor captures someone at a crossroads. When it comes to memory loss and dementia, it can affect mood swings and emotive responses in unpredictable ways. For an actor, there can be no higher challenge. Dern delivers subtly in that vein and makes fascinating choices along the way. It’s hard to tell, at first, whether his outbursts are emanating from a place of enormous ego—grown out of massive success—or his encroaching Alzheimer’s. Some of his greatest moments in this film come when he is interacting with his estranged daughter and her son, his grandson (who he has never met at that point).
As Angela Smythson (Juliet Rylance) cautiously approaches a relationship with her father, we get a deeper sense of exactly who Richard is, deep inside. Witnessing Dern waver between disdain towards his daughter and empathic curiosity directed at his young grandson is mesmerizing. Now, it’s not that he’s a different person with Claire. The role of husband, especially in this marriage, is one closer to traditional roles from another era. Yet, Claire is no wallflower and has a firm voice uniquely her own.
Her arc alters soon after her husband’s diagnosis. In the hands of Olin, it is an organically achieved evolution stemming from a self-aware DNA that was always present, just forgotten about for years. As she returns to her own painting, Claire finds purpose where previously existed only support for her husband. The actress puts on a clinic and is one of those rare films where the credits roll and the desire to continue on with one specific character is fervent. It’s such a glorious arrival, her conclusion, that in many ways it is a beginning and that is a ride we want to remain with.
The character portrayed by Rylance is so well-written and performed that it simultaneously shines a light on who this woman is and gives viewers a deeper understanding of her father. The long-suffering daughter role adds layers to the overall emotive weight of The Artist’s Wife. She has employed a twenty-something manny named Danny (Avan Jogia), whose presence allows an outside impression of this insulated family. He also plays a part in Claire’s development.
Dolby, who has played many roles in the filmmaking arena—from producer (Call Me By Your Name, Little Woods), to writer (Last Weekend)—co-wrote the script and clearly has a firm command of storytelling. Pacing on a story like this could be a problem. It could seem stagnant as it meanders through exposition and emotional-driven plot progress. Instead, Dolby delivers an ever-flowing forward motion that keeps the viewer guessing as to how this entire endeavor will play out.
It seems a low-hanging fruit to compare his filmmaking to the artistry of abstract painting.
But if the shoe fits …
The writer-director has a canvas that he fills with hues that may, at times, seem like they would clash. Instead, The Artist’s Wife proves to be a myriad of colorful combinations whose palette lies at the heart of the human condition. Aging is something the entire planet can identify with, each and every soul seeks to live a fruitful life and one hopes that the choices we make along the way won’t define us if they fail and won’t serve as our sole legacy should they succeed. Dolby has crafted a universe that explores life, love, family, and how all of those elements can come to a head as we become aware that our next chapter could be our last.
Grade: B+