The Wife has been adapted by Swedish director Bj\xf6rn Runge from Meg Wolitzer\u2019s 2003 novel. The plot itself is a tad contrived and not always convincing but the performances power the film, giving it an emotional grip that doesn\u2019t let up. Joan, played masterfully by Glenn Close, resembles a calm sea that has tectonic plates shifting and a tsunami brewing beneath the surface.