The world of gangsters is so ripe with storytelling, action, and thrills, which is why it has been a feature of moviemaking since we could hear the sound of a gun onscreen. Most of the films have focused on the people doing the gangstering. Only recently are we seeing more films about the bystanders: wives, kids, etc. I’m Your Woman is a movie about one of those bystanders, and shows how no matter which part of the gangster world your movie is about, it’s going to be exciting as hell.
Sometime in the 70’s, Jean (Rachel Brosnahan) has settled into a somewhat lonely life of leisure with her husband Eddie (Bill Heck). Eddie’s job is in the shadows, but because of the life Jean’s been given, she doesn’t ask any questions or complain much, except about having a baby. One day, Eddie shows up with a little guy out of the blue. Though startled, Jean is excited to get what she wanted and leaves well enough alone. Until one night, a pounding on her door brings in Cal (Arinze Kene), who shows up with a ton of money and some news: Eddie’s on the run, and he is here to take Jean into hiding.
Perspective matters a lot here. Since this is Jean’s story, Julia Hart revolves the entire movie around her. What might initally seem like a boring idea is proven wrong the minute there’s that midnight knock on the door. What would normally be a gangster shoot em up is instead a mystery paranoid thriller. Jean has no idea where she is going, escorted by people who refuse to tell her anything about her husband and what happened. That means Jean has no idea who her enemy is: it could be no one, it could be a legion of mob bosses. So scenes where she strolls through a non descript neighborhood with her baby or simple daytime knocks at the door are drenched in tension. That kindly elderly female neighbor (Marceline Hugot)? Maybe she’s an assassin! Ok, that’s a bit much, but Hart turns the mundane and chill on its head because the audience is as in the dark as Jean is.
The 2nd half is filled with all the reveals and surprises. And that’s where Hart throws in the action with a dose of racial commentary (that’s a mixed bag, unfortunately). There’s a terrifying sequence inside of a nightclub that is a whirlwind of panic since we stay with Jean throughout the endeavor. There’s a few too many wrinkles and reveals for all of them to have a powerful impact, but many surprises is better than none, pretty much guaranteeing one or two you won’t see coming. That tantalizing mixture ups the suspense and thrills as the action comes hard and fast. Rachel Brosnahan is also game for everything, equally believable as the homemaker and the novice detective.
There’s a simple word to describe I’m Your Woman: entertaining. As hell, in fact. Like everything else in the world, if you put a woman front and center, they will rise to the occasion, and deliver something special without breaking a sweat. While raising a baby at the same time! I like to think of Rachel Brosnahan’s Jean as the witness protection version of Ms. Maisel. Though Jean’s jokes aren’t as snappy.