‘I Really Love My Husband’ Review
April 10, 2025 6:14 pm |
G.G. Hawkins’ I Really Love My Husband is a cautionary tale about falling just to fall to force yourself to be happy. A beautiful setting contrasts well with the fantastic range of performances, as we witness a wide range of emotions expose themselves on Teresa and Drew’s belated honeymoon celebration.
Madison Lanesey is raw in her powerful performance as Teresa, a woman that is clearly unsure of her decision to marry her husband (a year in). Lanesey is phenomenal, showcasing a real side of a relationship that some people don’t openly talk about. It’s not a film about falling out of love with someone, but a film about the idea that you dove headfirst into a commitment in the hopes sparks will eventually show themselves.
It’s truly a marvel to watch Lanesey interact with her on-screen “better half” Drew played by Travis Quentin Young. Young is instantly charming in his kind-hearted solitude and it’s difficult to hate the guy when it’s so clear of Teresa’s unprovoked distaste. It’s a talent to be able to perfectly display this level of inauthentic chemistry on screen, something that simulates a possible real relationship, until a real spark emerges.
This is where Arta Gee’s Paz enters the frame. Paz is not only the couple’s sole communication on the island as their rental host, but they are also an open book. Paz is at peace with the speed of nature and enters into a game of seduction between Teresa and Drew. In Gee’s first feature role, they are vulnerable and easy to connect with as the infectious personality of Paz. As the relationship between the three miraculously sprouts in unexpected ways, the audience is provided with a messenger in the form of Lisa Jacqueline’s Kiki to express what the audience has begun to think: Why does this couple hate themselves? I Really Love My Husband is a sharp dramedy that highlights the truth behind our emotions, but amongst the weight of it, there are moments of comic relief mainly held by the brief appearances of former reality contestant, Kiki.
I Really Love My Husband is an isolated picture taking place amongst a gorgeous backdrop that for those in love can be seen as a form of heaven, but for those experiencing the dire opposite can become a nightmare hidden in paradise. An argumentative monologue between both Drew and Teresa is a showstopper, displaying the hidden emotions the two may have had festering since they got together. A breaking point for not only our leads, but to the audience’s expectations in the certainty of the plot.
I Really Love My Husband is a poignant romantic drama that indulges in the horrors of wasting time with something or someone that doesn’t make you happy. Having seen the film twice since its SXSW premiere, it continues to be a riveting and moving story captured within a postcard sent from paradise.
Published Simultaneously on Cinefied.com
Categorised in: Reviews
This post was written by Connor Petrey
Comments are closed here.