I had high hopes that Chris Rock's I Think I Love My Wife, an R-rated relationship comedy, would finally free the poor guy from the PG-13 purgatory of films like Down to Earth and Head of State. But instead of  packing in both laughs and profundity, Rock's latest outing ends up being one schizophrenic flick. 

In addition to directing and co-writing this feature, Rock also stars as Richard Cooper, a man happily married to his wife of seven years, Brenda (Gina Torres). He loves his spouse and his two kids, but there's just one not-so-little problem: he and his wife  don't have sex anymore. The lack of bedroom activity has started to bear down on Richard, making him feel bored with his life.

Not long after Richard's mind (not to mention eyes) start to wander, Nikki (Kerry Washington), an old friend's ex-girlfriend, shows up in his office out of the blue. The two innocently head out to lunch to chat and catch up on old times, a process they continue to follow over the next few days. Even though he and Nikki are just friends, Richard can't stop thinking about the possibility of what life would be like as a single man again, and each outing with Nikki becomes an increasingly greater test of Richard's fidelity to his wife.

Last fall's dramedy The Last Kiss was one of my favorite movies of 2006. It presented a painfully realistic and brilliantly-acted story of a man at a pivotal romantic crossroads in his life, which is what   I Think I Love My Wife tries to do. Although the  entire film is a step in a great direction for Rock, he never gets around to bringing his foot down. The main trouble with the movie involves its nasty manic-depressive streak. Everything starts off well enough, with Rock's intention to give his existential story (based on Eric Rohmer's Chloe in the Afternoon) some bite being evident in the beginning scenes and even reflected in the amusing title. Rock also manages to deliver a bit of off-color dialogue more indicative of his stand-up act.  

However, when the time comes to launch the story headfirst into Richard's personal crisis, I Think I Love My Wife fumbles the ball worse than a butterfingered Brett Favre. The contrast between somber scenes of Richard attempting to deal with his sexual dilemma and the flick's more comedic moments seeems weird enough, but when the latter scenes grow more and more outrageous (culminating in a scene involving a Viagra pill and the world's most uncomfortable ambulance ride), the tonal transitions are enough to give you whiplash. 

As a writer and director, Rock tries going for both raunchy comedy and introspective drama, when choosing one or the another would have come up with a more consistent product. As an actor, Rock fares well enough in the conflicted role of Richard, but Kerry Washington comes across as little more than a very pretty face (her acting never grasps her character's complexity). Gina Torres is also too one-dimensional here, and the great Steve Buscemi is wasted as one of Richard's co-workers.

Playing Richard, Chris Rock only thinks he loves his wife, but I know I don't love his movie. 

MY RATING: ** (out of ****)

(Released by Fox Searchlight Pictures and rated "R" for persavive language and some sexual content.)