The Wife to Touching the Void the seven best films to watch on TV
about 4 years in The guardian
Glenn Close is mesmerising as a betrayed and undermined spouse, while Joe Simpson recounts his tale of extreme survival in the Peruvian AndesWhen Glenn Close was nominated a seventh time for an Oscar for this 2017 drama, many thought this would be the one for the win. Sadly it wasn’t to be, but Björn Runge’s fine film revolves round her subtle performance. She plays Joan Castleman, married for years to womanising, narcissistic novelist Joe (a marvellously insufferable Jonathan Pryce) who has just been awarded the 1992 Nobel prize in literature. As they visit Stockholm for the ceremony, secrets from the past about his and her creative lives seep to the surface. Close is simply mesmerising here, her face revealing flickers of discomfort, sadness, anger – until the dutiful spouse character she invented sticks in her throat once too often. Sunday 5 December, 11.10pm, BBC Two Continue reading...