The Story of My Wife

The Story of My Wife centers on Jakob, a merchant sea captain who spends his shore hours in a port café. During one such evening, he makes a wager with a friend that he will propose to whichever woman next walks through the door. That woman is Lizzy, a young Frenchwoman whose charm and unpredictability draw him in. The marriage that follows takes the captain far from the deck and into a Paris apartment, where his long absences at sea and her elusive nature keep him guessing about her fidelity. The film, set in the 1920s, follows the couple's turbulent relationship as Jakob tries to understand the woman he chose on a whim.

Ildikó Enyedi directed and wrote the screenplay, adapting the novel by Milán Füst. It stands between her 2017 feature On Body and Soul, which brought her international attention, and the 2021 release Tacheles, followed by Silent Friend in 2026. Léa Seydoux plays Lizzy opposite Gijs Naber as Jakob, with Louis Garrel, Sergio Rubini, Jasmine Trinca and Luna Wedler in supporting roles. The production was a European co-venture across Germany, Hungary, Italy and France, made for about 10 million USD and running 170 minutes.

On IMDb, the film holds a 6.2 rating from roughly 3,400 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 5.8 from a much smaller pool of about 77 votes.