Next door neighbors, Celine and Alice, lean on each other to withstand the domestic drudgery of their suburban lives. They each have young sons and husbands who go off to work every day and come home to a whiskey. Their sisterhood is shattered after a freak accident ends in a tragic death. You’ll never guess the extreme instincts that are forthcoming.
Mothers’ Instinct is the directorial debut of Benoit Delhomme and a remake of the 2018 Belgian film, which itself was an adaptation of the 2012 novel. It stars Anne Hathaway (Celine) and Jessica Chastain (Alice) in an emotional tug-of-war with deadly consequences. Two of our finest actresses put on a spellbinding show. They are the prime reason for watching. The film also excels in its production design. The ’60s are on full display as the women glow, the pastels pop, and the clothes…immaculate.
The script is uneven; the tone scrambled. The twists are sensational, almost pulpy, while the story simultaneously veers into social issues of the time. Oppression and mental illness are somewhere in there but remain opaque. There are odes to Hitchcock, but they lack his voyeurism and edgy contrasts. Maybe they should have gone all in on a mocking melodrama instead of maintaining a clumsy seriousness.
So, where does this leave us? Chastain and Hathaway and sparkling visuals? Or the muddled script of a bizarre story? For some, Mothers’ Instinct will cross the line. It’s unnerving to say the least. More like bat-shit crazy. I found the absurdity morbidly entertaining. The fine acting and exquisite style also kept me engaged. Plus, it runs a tight hour and a half instead of the ever-more frequent 2.5-or-3-hour cinematic endurance tests.
Mothers’ Instinct is streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
D² Rating: ◼◼◼☐☐
Trivia: Jessica Chastain won the Academy Award for what 2021 biopic film?
Trivia: Anne Hathaway won the Best Supporting Actress Award for what 2012 musical film?
Answers below
Trivia Answers: The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Les Misérables
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