RULE OF 3
Canada, 2019, 90 minutes, Colour.
Kelly Rutherford, Erin Karpluk, Kate Corbett, Joris Jarsky, Brett Donahuo, Kseenia Thurgood.
Directed by Caroline Labreche.
This is a television film, a popular kind of potboiler, in the vein of many other such films directed by Philippe Gagnon and the present director, Caroline Lebreche.
This one is trickier than most. It focuses on a professional woman, farewelling her husband, his immediately deceiving her but then run over in the street. At home, she encounters an intruder who turns out to be the wife of the dead man. Conflicts, anger, calming down, sorting things out. However, in examining his clothes, there is a ticket for a dry cleaner – which leads to the revelation of the third wife in a very fashionable apartment.
The police are investigating. The three women interact, two of the women bonding together against the third, who was the original wife. There are plans about discovering the deceiving husbands wealth, bank accounts, differences, the two women trying to blackmail the first wife because of her relationships, her turning the tables on them.
So far, so entertainingly melodramatic. There are a lot of clues in the screenplay but they seem to be focusing on the second wife. It is only in the last minute or so that the solution is revealed – there have been some clues but the ending is still, probably for most, quite a surprise.
1. Title? The alternate title, All My Husband’s Wives?
2. The city settings, the different homes and interiors, diners, parks and gardens, police precincts? Institution? The musical score?
3. The tone of the opening, Allison farewelling her husband, his going to Panama, the taxi, changing address, the bunch of flowers, on the street, run down, his death?
4. The police news for Alison? Her interview with the detective? Her husband run down, Allison under suspicion, her alibi, at home? Her grief, her background as a marriage counsellor?
5. Marla, her sudden intrusion, violence, Allison’s reaction? The revelation about Marla married to Dominic? Her angers and upset? The clash with Allison, her calming down? Having Allison to talk to? Her desperate love for her husband? The shock of finding that he was married again? Her background, her first husband, his being murdered, miscarriage, divorce? Her not being educated? Emotional?
6. Looking through the husband’s clothes, finding the key, the dry-cleaning ticket, Allison finding out the information, going to the wealthy apartment, Cheryl coming in, the discovery of the first marriage, nine years, Dominick and his background story, his range of lies? And his not being employed by the mining company in Panama?
7. Cheryl, her character, clashes? The key for the bank? Allison and her research, discovering the bank, going to the box, getting the money, the range of passports? Meeting Marla, giving her some of the money? The further information about the Swiss account? Allison getting into it?
8. Allison going to see Graham, memories of their past and her attack on him, Gaby and her being the best friend, betraying Allison? Getting Graham to give legal advice? Going to the house, the encounter with Gabby, the attack on her, Gaby saying she would do anything to make up to Allison?
9. Confrontations with Cheryl, the apartment, suspicions, the lovers, photographing them? The threat to blackmail Cheryl for the money? Cheryl turning the tables?
10. Allison, jogging, the shot in the park? Cheryl and the guns? The discussions with the detective, the three?
11. Allison at home, the thug coming, discovering that Marla had sent him from the diner?
12. The three women together, Marla with the gun, Allison confessing to save Cheryl?
13. Marla in the institution, the clues from the screenplay, her being the likely suspect?
14. The discovery of the woman in the wig, driving the car, collecting the money, disappearance?
15. Allison, meeting Gaby in the park, sufficient clues to reveal that Allison was the killer?
16. The screenplay, the touch of the pot-boiler, the range of clues, the final twist?
