The Housewife review – Naomi Watts is a secret suburban Nazi in an overcooked melodrama

Toronto film festival: the chilling true story of a woman who tried to hide from her wartime crimes gets turned into a strangely inert misfire The first scene of the 60s-set drama The Housewife is a closeup of a whistling kettle, an early “wink, wink” sign that we’re watching a story where tensions are set to boil but also that we’re watching a film of minimal subtlety. Perhaps if it had been pitched closer to its adjacently named cousin The Housemaid, as a silly, sensationalist thriller, such heavy-handed decision-making would feel more well-suited. But instead, while some scenes flirt with the idea of something juicier, this is a stuffy and stodgy slab of self-serious, old-school Oscar bait complete with all the shouting, crying, throwing and finger-pointing one would expect. Think overcooked rather than slow simmer. The Housewife is premiering at the Toronto film festival and is seeking distribution Continue reading...

Read it at The Guardian (Culture) ↗

← Front page