Mother’s Instinct : The leading actors are poorly served by a cumbersome script

Film : Mother's Instinct

Director : Benoît Delhomme

Cast : Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Josh Charles, Anders Danielsen Lie, Eamon Patrick O'Connell, Baylen D. Bielitz, Caroline Lagerfelt

Screenwriter: Sarah Conradt 

Duration: 1 hour 34 minutes

Star : 2.5

 

Mothers’ Instinct, a remake of a 2018 Belgian film called Duelles and based on a novel by Barbara Abel, sounds interesting at first. With the right adjustments, it might have been really impactful in the final act, even with its silly ending. The big problem with this film is that it takes itself too seriously, as if it's trying to make a deep comment on mid-20th century patriarchy, but it doesn’t succeed.

 

Best friends Alice (Chastain) and Céline (Hathaway) are busy keeping up the appearance of a perfect home life. Their husbands, played by Josh Charles and Anders Danielsen Lie, aren't very important in the story. It’s a nice change from movies where women are just background decorations. Both women have children: Alice's son Theo (Eamon Patrick O'Connell) and Céline's son Max (Baylen D. Bielitz). Tragedy strikes when Max falls off a balcony, and Alice arrives just too late to stop it. An untimely death throws these very, very close friends into a spiral of suspicion that threatens to not only end their bond but maybe even several lives along the way. 

 

The scenes are beautifully and intriguingly set up, and the elegant costumes add to the story by using colors that reflect the mothers' feelings. Everything looks stunning on the outside, which makes the hidden darkness (and there’s a lot of it) even more captivating.

 

The true strength of Mothers' Instinct comes from its amazing cast. Hathaway, with her Jackie Kennedy-inspired look, shines as a mother struggling to adjust to life after a devastating loss. The subtle hints of something darker beneath her sincere performance make her performance fascinating to watch. Chastain offers a strong contrast, dealing with intense guilt and anxiety while trying to build a perfect life for her husband and son. Their chemistry is as thrilling as trying to guess what will happen next in the film. The supporting cast also stands out: Josh Charles is impressive as a grieving father, and Anders Danielsen Lie does a good job with his role as a somewhat typical unsupportive husband.

 

The story’s focus is intentionally narrow, which can make some scenes feel a bit repetitive. The script becomes cumbersome as the story progresses.  The film's main idea seems to be that motherhood and suburban life drive people crazy, but it doesn’t quite deliver the progressive message it aims for. Alternatively, it might not have any deeper message at all.

 

In the end, Mothers' Instinct might not be a masterpiece, but it can be fun. Can be watched one time!

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