Chastain and Hathaway explore grief’s madness
Best friends are torn apart in this slow-burning psychological thriller about loss and blame. By
Yay, we get to see Anne Hathaway on the big screen again. Hathaway is one of Hollywood’s greatest actors and it’s always a pleasure to watch a production that shows off her elegance and style. In Mothers’ Instinct Hathaway plays Alice, alongside the gorgeous Jessica Chastain, who plays Celine.
Next-door neighbours Alice and Celine have a beautiful friendship – they could pass as sisters. Their husbands and sons, who are the same age, get along so well they are like family.
Accustomed to 1960s life, the two women are housewives who take care of their homes and children while their husbands clean up in suits in the corporate world.
The opening of the film immediately got me thinking. Celine sneaks into Alice’s house right after Alice drives off to pick up their sons from school. She picks out a sharp knife from Alice’s kitchen and closes the curtains in the living room.
Is Celine a backstabber? But there’s a heart-warming twist. Celine and her family carefully planned a surprise party for their dearest friend. There is genuine sisterly love here. And, of course, we are being set up for the fall...
Tragedy strikes
The film takes a dark turn when Alice’s son has a tragic accident while Celine is looking after the boys. A devastated Alice is convinced Celine is to blame for her son’s death and does everything in her power to make her life miserable. Their bond breaks. Paranoia, guilt, suspicion and grief fill their lives and erase any traces of affection and love they might once have shared.
I am sure you too have watched a film about best friends who turn against each other because of an incident in their lives – and, yes, the “evil” one has dark hair and a Vogue-approved wardrobe while the victim stuns in icy blonde hair with a more whimsical style.
But Mothers’ Instinct’s take on the story is to do with a parent’s grief, showing her mental state, what that kind of pain would drive her to do, and what closure might look like for her. We see Alice do the unthinkable to try to close that hole in her heart. She turns into a monster to feed her spirit with what she believes would best ease her pain.
Hathaway and Chastain are both phenomenal in their roles as powerful women and protective mothers.
It is lovely seeing them give such strong performances in a pastel palette in 1960s suburbia, when life seemed breezy and its beauty was reflected on the television screen they religiously watched.
Director and cinematographer Benoît Delhommes pulls off a good psychological thriller, thanks to a well-written story and great acting. But Mothers’ Instinct did not quite get my heart racing. The trailer is more exciting than the film, which is actually something of a slow-burner.
Celine could have been pushed more to the edge. We never get to see her fully break down, to understand her vicious behaviourbetter. The story could have dug deeper emotionally. Most of it is build-up, without the explosiveness of an excellent thriller. Nonetheless, for its sensitivity, beauty and acting chops, I rate it four out of five stars.
Mothers’ Instinct is now showing in cinemas.
DM