The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

I only recently discovered this little gem on Netflix and I was really impressed. This independent film is everything that so many Hollywood films aren't (anymore): complex, interesting, challenging, funny. The acting (especially Marcia Gay Harden and Aidan Quinn) is excellent. Despite its 2-hour run-time and complex plot, it never bogs down. Director Joan Carr-Wiggin does an admirable job of keeping the story moving and relatable through all the twists and turns of the plot and subplots. In fact, the story itself mirrors the Shakespearean structure with intrigue, mistaken or confused identities, poignant subtext, etc. And to top it all off, there's no formulaic development or "Hollywood ending" to ruin the great story! This film is truly delightful and its a shame that it did so unbelievably poorly at the box-office. The critics have not done it justice, either, giving one-line reviews that make me wonder if they even watched it. If you check on Rotten Tomatoes, you'll see that the audience score is around 70%, while the critic's score is at 9%! Definitely a disconnect with reality, in my opinion. It's not a perfect film, and if IMDb allowed it I would have given it an 8.5, but it's certainly MUCH better than its critical ratings and box-office earnings indicate.

Just as her husband says he will be coming home late, Madelyn sees him with another woman in the coffee shop. Instead of confronting them, she meet the woman, and oddly, becomes her friend. Written and directed by Joan Carr Wiggin, whose works are all about relationships, marriages, engagements. Marcia Harden is Madelyn, whose husband Paul is cheating with the MUCH younger Lucy (Leonor Watling). They strike up a friendship, lots of talking, discussing, psycho-analyzing, kind of like a woody allen movie. But... Madelyn doesn't tell Lucy that she is "the wife", and already knows what they are up to. They agree to help each other. Some funny lines. Lots of cussing, so leave the young uns back home! It's mostly a fun roller coaster of an adventure. Misunderstandings, lies, the usual caper ingredients. It's not always sure what it wants to be; netflix has this under COMEDY, but it's really a drama. Some serious scenes with Madelyn's mother, who is not at all well. Madelyn is very real, and she is all around us, with her sense of humor, and weaknesses. Check it out! Not bad.

This is an intelligent and funny movie, well worth watching, even if for the first act alone. Harden and Watling are genuinely entertaining to watch. They have great chemistry, playing off each other beautifully. The film's only flaws are in the somewhat uneven plot, and a couple of very minor characters with sub-par acting -- the waitress in the opening scene must be surely be the producer's sister or something. The first act is surprisingly great. I literally laughed out loud. The concept is also super fun and intriguing. Marcia Gay Harden's every move is perfect as Madeline, the prim and proper, confused working wife. Leonor Watling also gives a wonderful performance as Lucy. She gives Lucy exactly the right blend of naïvete, savviness, and genuine innocence, which allows us to care about Lucy even if she doesn't always do the right thing.The second act continues at a pretty good pace. However, to keep from dragging, the middle of the movie craved a couple of extra plot complications.In the third act, the tone of the movie shifts considerably. Now If I Were You is a drama, and a major new character is introduced. The story would have been even stronger if it could have retained more of the fun-loving spirit of the first act.Overall, If I Were You gets a 6.5 . . . since that's not an option, 7.

"If I were You" is a frustrating film to watch, though I do recommend it. Why frustrating? It's because it is almost like two or three different portions of films tossed together--and this is disconcerting. For example, the film starts off as a funny little comedy but then later it's depressing and maudlin and later it's a romance! I really wish the film had maintained a tighter focus--perhaps then it would have made money. Still, with some wonderful acting from Marcia Gay Harden and many wonderful moments, it is still very good.The film begins with a woman (Harden) discovering that her husband is cheating on her. However, in a weird (and funny) twist, she sees the mistress about to kill herself and must intervene. No matter how much she hates her, she has some compassion and won't just stand back and see her die. Soon, in a weirder twist, the two become very good friends--though the mistress has no idea that her new friend is her lover's wife! There is MUCH more to the film than this--and as I said before, the film has great difficulty maintaining focus in style or plot. It's a shame, as the film is VERY funny in places.So would you like my advice? Well, you are reading this, so I assume you do. First, don't let kids watch the film--it's just too adult. Second, watch it if you are willing to look over the uneven bits, as there is so much good in this one.By the way, if you like this film, try watching Harden in "Canvas"---another small and overlooked film in which her acting really, really shines.