I must admit I missed My Wife Is an Actress the first time around. It was only when a reader emailed me and recommended it that I went back and took a look. Foreign films – especially those from France or Italy – have a style and charm that is quite different from those released by American studios these days. For one, they are definitely quieter – the dialog is not drowned out by screeching tires and guns blazing – and the story lines are much more character-driven. What I mean is, I like the foreign film genre a lot. That said, appraising this movie within its own genre, I still found it a little disappointing.

Considering the enthusiasm of the person who recommended the movie to me, I did a “reality check” by looking at the opinions of several other reviewers before writing down my reaction. To my surprise, the poorer reviews seemed to come from male critics while a far greater percentage of the women reviewers like it. So maybe this is just a gender thing, but here are my thoughts anyway.

The film was written by, directed by, and stars Yvan Attal, who plays a Paris sportswriter (named Yvan) whose wife is a famous actress. . Charlotte Gainsbourg, who in real life is Attal’s wife and also a cinema star in Europe in her own right, plays the actress wife here. The character is also named Charlotte, but Attal has been careful not to make the film autobiographical, and we are left to wonder whether any of the conversations or situations shown here mimic their own experiences.

Yvan, whose personality reminds you of an early Woody Allen, cannot come to terms with his wife’s fame. The couple is constantly interrupted at dinner by persons seeking an autograph. Fans on the street want their picture taken with her. Yvan, although accomplished in his own profession, nevertheless is annoyed to the point of jealousy by Charlotte’s success.

Mirroring Yvan’s frustration is Vincent, his brother-in-law, who cannot accept the fact that his pregnant (and Jewish) wife, Natalie, wants to name their soon-to-be son Moses and have him circumcised. Natalie and Vincent (he is not Jewish) bicker almost constantly about this one subject. (Vincent: “But I want him to look like me!” Natalie: “Okay go get circumcised!”)

Their tension spills over into Yvan, who obviously loves his sister but who agrees with Vincent, saying that the man in the family should decide. Charlotte expresses sympathy for with Natalie and reveals her desire to one day have a child of her own. This makes Yvan even more nervous, since he would have to share Charlotte with yet another person.

Charlotte goes to London to work on a film with a popular and handsome star, whose name we only know as John (Terence Stamp.) Stamp plays a man nearing the end of his career, and and who is living off his past reputation as a romantic lead. Think Cary Grant, but no longer as charming as he thinks.

After overhearing people in a restaurant gushing gossip about the handsome John and the beautiful Charlotte, Yvan decides to pay a surprise visit to the set. His timing couldn’t be worse. It is the day they are filming the movie’s big love scene and Charlotte is nervous about the obligatory nudity. On a whim, she asks the entire crew also be naked if she has to be and to her surprise they agree. Enter the unsuspecting Yvan, flowers in hand, just as the cameras begin to roll. The sight of all that flesh confirms his worse suspicions about “the movies”- his eyes grow wide and he faints. Charlotte’s simple explanation does not console him (Charlotte: “I like my job!” Yvan: “ Of course you do, everyone’s naked!”) On the train going home he sadly tells another passenger on the train that his wife is “part of a cult.”

In retaliation, and at Charlotte’s suggestion, he enrolls in a drama class, but the teacher is suspicious of his motives and so forces him to perform a humiliating pantomime of a flower growing and opening its petals. To Yvan’s surprise, his performance is received well and he becomes the object of affection of two adoring females in the class. Now he really thinks all actors are crazy. And he becomes obsessed thinking about his wife in the arms of John, even if it is just acting.

The jealous husband starts acting out and pretty much pushes Charlotte into the arms of her co-star. Yvan refuses to believe they haven’t slept together for real, and he seeks out female companionship for himself. At the end, Yvan realizes he still loves Charlotte and the couple reconcile. Fast forward a few months and we see Natalie has had her baby and the proud father Vincent has totally changed his mind about the Jewish traditions, embracing the name Moses and participating in the bris ceremony.

Charlotte is happy too: she has just found out she is pregnant. Yvan gives himself a long sigh in the mirror and accepts the fact he will never have Charlotte entirely to himself.

My major complaint about the movie is that while looking at the comic effects of being the spouse of a movie star, with all the possibilities for jealousy and mental infidelity, the film seems to lose its charm and focus about 2/3 of the way through. After cooking for us a delightfully witty and sophisticated soufflé during its first hour, the script and direction falls flat in its rush to a predictable resolution. It could have used a little Woody Allen commentary to the camera (a la Annie Hall.) But as I said at the beginning, women seem more forgiving of My Wife Is an Actress than I am.