Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #76633 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-09-06
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 185 minutes

Synopsis
Juliet Stevenson turns in a powerfully nuanced performance as a jilted housewife bent on revenge in this suspenseful British mini-series of political and sexual intrigue. Stevenson stars as Flora Matlock, the dutiful wife of smarmy, Machiavellian politician Duncan Matlock (Trevor Eve), a social-climbing member of the Tory party. When Flora discovers that Duncan has been having a long-term affair with a former prostitute (Minnie Driver), she teams up with political rival Mark Hollister (Anton Lesser) to plan her husband's personal and political downfall.

Customer Reviews

Errant husbands beware !
Flora is happily married to Duncan (Trevor Eve), or so she thinks. Duncan is a government minister and away in London all week leaving Flora in their country home, bringing up their two children and playing the role of a typical Conservative housewife. Her illusions are shattered when the tabloids get hold of a story linking her husband with a glamorous younger woman. Initially she is talked into forgiving what her husband told her was a 'one night stand' but as the truth is revealed and she realises this was a long standing affair, Flora decides to get her revenge.
Making good use of her air of naivety and innocence, Flora (brilliantly played by Juliet Stevenson) uses the contacts she has in parliament, and her husbands constituents, to systematically decimate her husbands reputation and career. The look on Duncan's face when he realises who was behind his downfall is priceless. This 'made for TV' production should put the fear of God into any husband thinking of straying....as the saying goes; Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

The missus could've given Machiavelli lessons
THE POLITICIAN'S WIFE is further evidence that even talented men are ruled by gonadal impulses and should leave the heavy mental lifting to the ladies.

Flora (Juliet Stevenson) is married to a junior Cabinet minister in Her Majesty's Government, Duncan Matlock (Trevor Eve). Duncan gets caught up in a scandal, which, because he's a Tory in a Conservative administration, is sexual in nature - he's linked to an escort babe (Minnie Driver). Though Duncan declares to Flora that it was a one-off affair, it becomes apparent to the latter and the audience during the first installment of this three-episode telly miniseries that the trysts continue. Indeed, Flora has her nose rubbed in it when she comes into possession of tapes of Duncan and his tart having phone sex. It's devastating stuff. So, while pretending to be the loyal wife standing at her husband's side during damage control efforts by the local Conservative organization, and while Duncan himself strives to get a piece of controversial legislation through Parliament, Flora stage-manages his political downfall with the unwitting aid of a powerful Tory Mr. Fixit, smoothly played by Ian Bannen (the schemer of WAKING NED DEVINE), since deceased.

The performances by all actors involved are top drawer. Indeed, Duncan is the male pig you love to hate, and he's a politician besides. Eeeuw! But THE POLITICIAN'S WIFE is a one-woman show, and Juliet Stevenson is the one you pay to watch as her Flora persona picks herself off the floor - kicked while down - and gives hubby his just desserts. There are times when, as Flora gazes at her spouse as if he's an interesting lab specimen, you can almost hear the wheels in her head turning, turning, turning, and you know the man is doomed. In a final scene, it appears that even Duncan admires his wife's Machiavellian talent.

My only criticism - a trivial one - is that Duncan's Whitehall department, the Ministry for the Family (or some such), didn't project the grandiosity that warranted the attention provided by a juicy sex scandal. I mean, if the U.S. Secretary of HUD was caught flagrante delicto with a bimbo, who would care?

THE POLITICIAN'S WIFE is perfect small-screen entertainment for those nights when the spouse is off at ... work?

An American's view
We watched the entire three part (though only 187 minutes, I think) movie last night and woke up to the newest political scandal with Eliot Spitzer. How timely!

This is a very good film about Flora, married to the Minister of Family whom espouses family values. Sure enough, the movie starts with Duncan, her husband, coming home with his entourage and having to let his wife know about his one-night stand with another woman, since the press has found out and they are about to be hounded.

Flora is absolutely broken-hearted. And, to make matters worse, nobody seems to show true sympathy to her for her heartbreak-- instead, everybody is concerned about Duncan keeping his position and about the "Party" (suffice it to say this has a definite liberal bias, but it's really not too bad).

Her father is even a creep. Flora comes down in the middle of the night and sees her father (one of the "party's" cronies) and when he begins to let her know how upset he is about Duncan's infidelity, Flora assumes she will be shown some concern. However, the dad is only concerned about himself and his upset is due to his fear that Duncan will go down and that his own future will be ruined. Despicable characters-- all of them!

Anyways, soon Flora receives an anonymous tape with very explicit recordings of some phone sex her husband took part in with the woman he was having an affair with. She soon recognizes that this was no "one-time" fling, but a serious affair that took place over the better part of a year and was very very serious. She begins to really despise her husband, while at the same time hanging on to the bit of love she once had for him. This part of the movie is interesting. It's obvious (to us) that she begins to really hate him-- hate his character and lack thereof. His flaws are completely noticeable-- maybe for the first time to Flora. He lies. He hates gays. He hates the needy. He says what he needs to say for political expediency, and then whispers to Flora how he will get away with breaking the promises he just made a moment before. He's definitely unlikeable.

However, rather than this being a "Let's bash the Conservatives" movie, one of Duncan's staff begins to help Flora plan Duncan's revenge. And, it soon turns out that more of the "Party" start to see the error of Duncan's ways, as well. So, there are definitely a few "honorable" people here, except, really, who is really honorable when the methods are so despicable, even if those methods are the absolute only way to achieve the necessary goals?

So, this becomes a film about morality, too. And, it is confusing, because we've grown to empathize with Flora but even she is capable of deceit. But, her methods are definitely underhanded even though her heart (for everyone but Duncan) is in the right place.

The acting is absolutely superb. Juliet Stevenson is extremely talented and I'm glad to see her in a lead role. Minnie Driver plays the mistress with a perfect British accent. Everyone else was good and the story moved along well, although had it gone a bit faster, I wouldn't have been disappointed.

Part of what is interesting here is the perceived necessity for the politicians' wives to stand by their men after their husbands' infidelities are exposed. We saw it with Hillary Clinton, we've seen it with Jim McGreevey and his wife, we've seen it with Larry Craig and his wife, and now we're seeing it with Elliot Spitzer and his sad-looking wife. These poor women (except for Hillary, I guess, who has her own reasons I suppose for staying)! They are paraded out in public to stand by their men and show support and smile and hold hands, etc., even while the pain is probably still profuse. Personally, I think the women would gain so much more respect by leaving. And, with Hillary, specifically (since she herself is in the public eye), I think her likeability would have gone way up had she left her chronically unfaithful husband behind.