How to Be a Good Wife (2020)

How to Be a Good Wife is a sly, warm-hearted comedy that uses the prim setting of a 1960s housekeeping school to pull off something rarer than it looks: it makes you laugh while quietly rearranging your assumptions. Martin Provost stages the film with a bright, buoyant touch, letting the humor bloom from etiquette drills and domestic “perfection” even as the world outside starts to rumble with change. At the center, Juliette Binoche gives Paulette a wonderfully human mix of poise, panic, and awakening, surrounded by a supporting cast that turns every raised eyebrow and clipped instruction into character. It won’t satisfy viewers looking for sharp-edged satire or nonstop farce, but if you want an affectionate, thought-provoking crowd-pleaser with real emotional lift, it’s an easy recommendation.

How to Be a Good Wife wants to be a light, crowd-pleasing feminist romp—using a prim housekeeping school on the eve of May ’68 as a stage for awakening, rebellion, and a bit of romance. The problem is it can’t quite decide what it is: one moment it’s broad, goofy farce, the next it’s blunt social commentary, and then it swerves into sincere emotion, which can make the whole thing feel oddly laborious rather than liberating. If you’re hoping for sharp satire or a consistently witty comedy, you may find the message delivered with a heavy hand and the tone too wobbly to fully land. Still, Juliette Binoche brings warmth and credibility, and if you enjoy genial French ensemble films with a clear, feel-good agenda, you’ll probably be more forgiving of the rough edges.