The Story of My Wife

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The Story of My Wife

2021

2h 49m

Drama

Romance

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Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

30%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

56%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Jakob Störr, a Dutch seasoned sea captain, makes a bet in a café to marry the first woman who enters the place. And then in walks Lizzy...

Critics Consensus

The Story of My Wife gets a pair of strong performances out of its talented leads, but they're wholly undermined by a story that's nowhere near compelling enough to support the movie's sprawling runtime.

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Guy Lodge

Sight & Sound

May 14, 2026

Three hours is a long time to explain why straight men don’t make happy sea captains, but it’s one thing Enyedi’s luscious, lulling film does with some clarity.

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Boyd van Hoeij

The Hollywood Reporter

Jul 16, 2021

Cinephiles who are fans of Enyedi's work will be left wondering whether her idiosyncratic voice took an extended vacation when she made this film.

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Jessica Kiang

Variety

Jul 16, 2021

"Story" falls into every trap of the over-reverential adaptation: individual scenes go on too long, there are far too many of them, and everyone sounds like they're reading when they speak.

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Hector A. Gonzalez

The Movie Buff

Sep 8, 2024

B-

A gorgeously-looking 3-hour romance epic about jealousy, amorous escapades, and toxic masculinity carried by an excellent performance by Léa Seydoux. But there is a catch within the sea of melancholy and isolation.

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Diego Batlle

Otroscines.com

Mar 15, 2024

2/5

Cold, artificial, solemn, with zero chemistry between the protagonists; a film almost three hours long that gifts us some masterful shots and very little else. [Full review in Spanish]

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Pablo De Vita

La Nación (Argentina)

Mar 14, 2024

3/5

My Wife's Story unfolds with visual appeal, both in the historical formulation and in the beautiful photography, however, interest gradually declines after its decidedly brilliant beginning. [Full review in Spanish]

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r m

@Trew22450 May 12, 2024

the first hour and 20 minutes of nothing. then I turned it off.

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Andrei D

@RT74856639 Dec 2, 2023

Too long, not too smart

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Ildikó Enyedi

Director

Léa Seydoux

Lizzy

Gijs Naber

Jakob

Louis Garrel

Dedin

Sergio Rubini

Kodor

Jasmine Trinca

Viola

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Synopsis

Jakob Störr, a Dutch seasoned sea captain, makes a bet in a café to marry the first woman who enters the place. And then in walks Lizzy...

Director: Ildikó Enyedi
Producer: Mónika Mécs
Screenwriter: Ildikó Enyedi, Milan Faust
Production Co: Palosanto Films, WDR/Arte, RAI Cinema, Komplizen Film, Arte France Cinema, Inforg-M&M Film Kft.
Genre: Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Runtime: 2h 49m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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