In the damp yellowish overtones of the 70s, infertility was not something many spoke about. There wasn’t much anyone spoke about as far as personal affairs. Sure there was the surge of cubical rights and the free love movement, but the real depth to a person was unseen unless they were influenced by popular drugs of the time. “I’m Your Woman” is everything that is left unsaid. Rachel Brosnahan, who is just getting off the joyously successful The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, plays Jean, a simplistic housewife not able to fulfill what she feels is being the ultimate housewife. Bill Heck plays Eddie, the shrouded in secrecy husband who has a clear connection to crime. One day Eddie shows up with a baby, and that’s when Jean’s inner conflict begins to match her exterior. Learning how to be a mother without that 9-month training is hard but becomes even harder when Eddie’s crimes catch up with him, making Jean suddenly on the move for her life.
This is where Cal, Arinze Kene, comes in. Cal is the catalyst that begins to force Jean to morph into more than she thought she could be. The film’s settings are ever-changing but play their own roles in the film. Backdrops of areas that just experienced civil rights and nondescriptive locations add to the overall tension in the tone. This is what makes the film unique and steady. The film balances itself on the audience not knowing everything and yet knowing what is going to happen. Oddly enough, even though the ending is predictable, it’s the character growth that gives the momentum. Even with a story that seems a little far fetch, you find great investments in how it plays out. I’m Your Woman shows range in an obvious story but it’ll be enjoyable to see it unfold.
The Verdict