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Even when
Chris Rock tries to act its still
comedy. I Think I Love My Wife focuses
on Richard Cooper (Chris Rock) a bored
husband who isn’t getting ‘any’ from his
wife. They are so wrapped up in their
home life that they’ve forgotten they
existed before the kids, mortgage and
secure jobs.
Chris
Rock has done many comedy skits about
his family life. From his kids to his
wife, Rock had vocalized his personal
life on many a brightly lit stage for
laughter and certainly for venting. I
Think I Love My Wife creates an outlet
for Chris and he definitely lets the
audience know in this interview that he
can relate to his character in more ways
than one.
Who was
the inspiration for the cad George?
Chris
Rock:
Who was the inspiration for that
character? It’s probably 30 guys I know
who fit that character. If there was I
couldn’t ruin his life by saying it in
front of all these writers.
What was
different from Chloe in the Afternoon?
Chris
Rock:
We turned it into a comedy. In the
original you see the wife like twice in
the whole movie. You see here in the
beginning and you see her in the end. I
know you probably think it was a joke… I
got the Chris Rock, Eric Rohmer one… but
when you really look at the original and
you think about my stand up… they kind
of go together. It seemed like a perfect
match.
I love
Gina Torres but she’s not used a lot.
How did you go about casting?
Chris
Rock:
I went about casting… first of all
sometimes when you hear a persons name
or see their face you assume the film is
going to be mediocre. So I absolutely
refused to cast any of those people. The
usual black suspects I call them. I
eliminated all of them. Yes, I know I’m
a hater… so what. In my other films I
cast for a comedic ability. This time I
cast for a dramatic ability and hoped
that they would get the comedy right.
The comedy would come out of dramatic
situations.
You’re a
real political guy. How is this film
political?
Chris
Rock:
I don’t think it is. I guess in some…
it’s probably more political than Head
of State. It’s just rare that you see.
.. I’m not here to spit on anybody
else’s movies but the portrayal of black
middle class is just clownish.
Or
non-existent?
Chris
Rock:
It’s always you’re totally out of touch
with everything that is going on and you
need somebody from the hood to
straighten you out. To show you what’s
really going on. We have little concerns
that parents are concerned with at the
playgroups and stuff like that.
Speaking
of politics, there is a motion right now
in congress to eliminate using the word
‘nigger’. How do you feel about that in
your comedy act?
Chris
Rock:
I’ll call up my accountant and buy 8000
shares of coon. Just in case.
Why was
this movie important to make now?
Chris
Rock:
You have a finite time in front of the
camera. TV you get a little longer. It
was really important for me that I had a
movie that represented really what I do.
I didn’t think I had one. I didn’t think
I had a movie that was on the level of
my standup or my TV show. It was just
important to me to do a movie that could
sit with all the rest of that stuff.
How did
your wife react to this?
Chris
Rock:
It can be funny and it can be
comfortable. My wife is fine with it.
The fact that it’s a remake of the Eric
Rohmer thing I’m sure helps but we have
an agreement. I have a real wife who is
lovely, she is the mother of my children
and then I have my comedy wife who’s
just this bitch that won’t sleep with
me. And you know it all works out.
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