Eve and Frank have a terrible marriage and she wants out because Frank treats her like a trophy wife and hits her when she steps out of line. Enter Paul, Frank's partner on the force, who sees what's going on and starts falling in love with Eve. Frank finds out and frames Paul for murder. What does he do? You will have to tune in and find out. This one was definitely watchable if you like crime drama. Good cast and good script!!!
6 Reviews
Not too bad
pumping_iron-129 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
If you can get past the bad acting, remember this is a Lifetime movie, most are bad actors, the movie isn't half bad. The actors are laughable . Frank, who is the villain, looks more laughable than threatening. I think if better actors delivered the lines, the movie would have been much better. The movie moves a little slow, but it keeps you entertained. The ending is good, although Panda accidentally shoots Frank. She really doesn't have the cajones to shoot him on purpose. I was glad Frank got what he deserved from the woman he was physically abusing. I hate men who abuse women. They are cowards of the worse kind.
Good Cop, Bad Cop
lavatch16 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
"In Love with My Partner's Wife" was built around the premise of two police detectives in love with the same woman. Frank Miller is the corrupt cop who treats Eve as a trophy wife. Frank's partner, Paul Ford, recognizes how special Eve is and forms a bond with her to expose her abusive husband.
Within the first ten minutes of the film, it was clear that this was a saga of good cop, bad cop. A lurid fantasy sequence five minutes into the film reveals that Eve is thinking suggestively about Paul. The scene implies that the film could have been titled more appropriately "In Love with My Husband's Partner."
There was not much psychological depth to the characters. Frank never won the love and admiration of his father that he so desperately craved. Embittered and humiliated, Frank takes everything out on his devoted wife. As miserable tokens of his "affection," he regularly gives her gifts of toy pandas after his all-too-frequent outbursts.
There were several good supporting characters including the shady Callahan, the perceptive Captain Anderson, and the feisty detective Andrea Billings who suspects something is off with Frank.
A shortcoming of the film was its sluggish pacing. There was a false ending when the police somehow failed to nab Frank at a train station. That faux pas allowed the film to drag on for an extended scene that occurred three months later. It was as if the filmmakers were struggling so hard to round out a 90-minute film that they required an extra narrative sequence as filler.
Within the first ten minutes of the film, it was clear that this was a saga of good cop, bad cop. A lurid fantasy sequence five minutes into the film reveals that Eve is thinking suggestively about Paul. The scene implies that the film could have been titled more appropriately "In Love with My Husband's Partner."
There was not much psychological depth to the characters. Frank never won the love and admiration of his father that he so desperately craved. Embittered and humiliated, Frank takes everything out on his devoted wife. As miserable tokens of his "affection," he regularly gives her gifts of toy pandas after his all-too-frequent outbursts.
There were several good supporting characters including the shady Callahan, the perceptive Captain Anderson, and the feisty detective Andrea Billings who suspects something is off with Frank.
A shortcoming of the film was its sluggish pacing. There was a false ending when the police somehow failed to nab Frank at a train station. That faux pas allowed the film to drag on for an extended scene that occurred three months later. It was as if the filmmakers were struggling so hard to round out a 90-minute film that they required an extra narrative sequence as filler.
Misses the mark
CranberriAppl21 September 2022
I realize this is Lifetime and we know what we're getting when we watch. But there are occasions when Lifetime does a really decent job, and that makes it harder to ignore the bad ones. This movie was not good. There's a lot happening in it. Even as a "thriller," this movie could have existed fine as just a triangle/affair/abuse storyline. No, they had to add other crimes. As if being an abuser wasn't enough?
The wife and the friend have some chemistry, but not a ton. Early in the movie, before the bar scene, some things seemed way too obvious in front of the husband given his volatile nature. The lunches for the partner (her eventual lover) and just the way they interacted.....I think they danced at the bar?? I don't know, maybe it's me.
Again, I realize this is Lifetime, and they aren't Hallmark or other romance stories where people declare their love, but this movie needed that to me. This partner was supposedly so in love with her all this time, but feelings are never discussed (unless I missed it). It didn't take them long to sleep together after she ran and not really in that built up tension way. It literally would have taken a few lines of dialogue to add something to their "relationship." Particularly to clarify that she wasn't just into him bc he was her white knight (come on, he was).
Not even going to get into the nonsensical on-the-run portion of the story. That's when I really stopped taking this movie as anything. It was so unnecessary. The part that really annoyed me was after the altercation outside of the bar, instead of literally going inside and reporting to the chief what happened, the partner (honestly don't care about these characters' names) runs off with the wife and allows the abusive husband to set the narrative. How was that the logical course of action. Oh! And he could have called is boss the next morning to let her know what happened. But no, he thinks going on the run makes more sense. By that point, it's all out in teh open (how the partner feels) so what exactly was he protecting the husband for. He's a freaking cop....he's surely dealt with abusers before...all he did was anger him. He should have reported it.
Then the bit about the wife having some illness that is fatal if she doesn't have her pills...but her doctor doesn't consult her before allowing her husband to stop the prescription (he was using it as leverage to get her back to the house)? It was so absurd.
I agree with others that the movie does drag on because of the extra unnecessary plot elements, and none of the characters are all that sympathetic, so the movie feels neverending.
The wife and the friend have some chemistry, but not a ton. Early in the movie, before the bar scene, some things seemed way too obvious in front of the husband given his volatile nature. The lunches for the partner (her eventual lover) and just the way they interacted.....I think they danced at the bar?? I don't know, maybe it's me.
Again, I realize this is Lifetime, and they aren't Hallmark or other romance stories where people declare their love, but this movie needed that to me. This partner was supposedly so in love with her all this time, but feelings are never discussed (unless I missed it). It didn't take them long to sleep together after she ran and not really in that built up tension way. It literally would have taken a few lines of dialogue to add something to their "relationship." Particularly to clarify that she wasn't just into him bc he was her white knight (come on, he was).
Not even going to get into the nonsensical on-the-run portion of the story. That's when I really stopped taking this movie as anything. It was so unnecessary. The part that really annoyed me was after the altercation outside of the bar, instead of literally going inside and reporting to the chief what happened, the partner (honestly don't care about these characters' names) runs off with the wife and allows the abusive husband to set the narrative. How was that the logical course of action. Oh! And he could have called is boss the next morning to let her know what happened. But no, he thinks going on the run makes more sense. By that point, it's all out in teh open (how the partner feels) so what exactly was he protecting the husband for. He's a freaking cop....he's surely dealt with abusers before...all he did was anger him. He should have reported it.
Then the bit about the wife having some illness that is fatal if she doesn't have her pills...but her doctor doesn't consult her before allowing her husband to stop the prescription (he was using it as leverage to get her back to the house)? It was so absurd.
I agree with others that the movie does drag on because of the extra unnecessary plot elements, and none of the characters are all that sympathetic, so the movie feels neverending.
The true definition of 'Made for TV'
Go_For_The_Jugular12 September 2022
This joint screams 'made for TV'.
Cheap looking, cheap sounding, poor direction, poor script, poor acting...the list goes on.
Story is unoriginal and has been done to death. Characters all picked from the generic book of 'good looking, but can't act' catalogue!
Now I 100% disagree with spousal abuse, whether it's men to women, women to men, or any other combination...but jeez Louise, you're still married to the guy, when you sleep with his work partner...a day after leaving the house? That's wrong too!
Anyway, this film shouldn't be taken too seriously, as it's one of those afternoon films you see, just before the kids get home from school.
It tries to be a romantic thriller, but it's more of a comedy. So many goofs and continuity errors.
If this is your kind of thing, that's fine...but it just wasn't for me. Way too much unnatural human behaviour...with people reacting to things in a way that no normal person would, just so the film can be a bit more watchable.
I must be in love with the end credits, because when they came on, my heart skipped a beat...and a tiny tear rolled down my cheek.
I was so happy to see them.
Cheap looking, cheap sounding, poor direction, poor script, poor acting...the list goes on.
Story is unoriginal and has been done to death. Characters all picked from the generic book of 'good looking, but can't act' catalogue!
Now I 100% disagree with spousal abuse, whether it's men to women, women to men, or any other combination...but jeez Louise, you're still married to the guy, when you sleep with his work partner...a day after leaving the house? That's wrong too!
Anyway, this film shouldn't be taken too seriously, as it's one of those afternoon films you see, just before the kids get home from school.
It tries to be a romantic thriller, but it's more of a comedy. So many goofs and continuity errors.
If this is your kind of thing, that's fine...but it just wasn't for me. Way too much unnatural human behaviour...with people reacting to things in a way that no normal person would, just so the film can be a bit more watchable.
I must be in love with the end credits, because when they came on, my heart skipped a beat...and a tiny tear rolled down my cheek.
I was so happy to see them.
Ugh.....
alannapower14 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Wow, once again, HORRIBLE writers.
It was ok, until the part with the medication. ARE YOU SERIOUS? She's prescribed steroids for a condition that causes inflammation.
She called her doctor for a refill, but then the doctor says that someone called saying she's selling her steroids to high school athletes.
"Steroids, also called corticosteroids, are anti-inflammatory medicines used to treat a range of conditions. They're different from anabolic steroids, which are often used illegally by some people to increase their muscle mass."
I mean I guess some people may take corticosteroids for sports recovery, but really?
Also, some random person calling in saying you're selling your meds, wouldn't cause a doctor to hang up on you and refuse you life saving medications.
Lazy writing is the worst.
It was ok, until the part with the medication. ARE YOU SERIOUS? She's prescribed steroids for a condition that causes inflammation.
She called her doctor for a refill, but then the doctor says that someone called saying she's selling her steroids to high school athletes.
"Steroids, also called corticosteroids, are anti-inflammatory medicines used to treat a range of conditions. They're different from anabolic steroids, which are often used illegally by some people to increase their muscle mass."
I mean I guess some people may take corticosteroids for sports recovery, but really?
Also, some random person calling in saying you're selling your meds, wouldn't cause a doctor to hang up on you and refuse you life saving medications.
Lazy writing is the worst.
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