A Mother’s Instinct (15) |Home Ents Review
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Chastain, Josh Charles, Anders Danielsen Lie
Review by Carlie Newman
Celine (Anne Hathaway) and Alice (Jessica Chastain) are neighbours and best friends. They spend much time together and have keys to each other’s homes. Their sons are the same age and also best friends attending the same school. It takes place in a 1960s American suburb and the two families are living happy, well-heeled lives.
Then there is a terrible accident and Celine’s child is killed. Everything changes when Celine realises that Alice has seen the accident but not been able to prevent it happening. Although Celine’s husband (Josh Charles) suffers depression following the death of his son, it is Celine who goes off the rails. Alice and her husband (Anders Danielsen Lie) offer their support and try to help their neighbours in every way possible, Celine refuses and plots her own way of dealing with the tragedy. Alice wants to go back to their original friendship in spite of the loss of Celine’s son but it is never going to happen. We witness horrific occurrences as the film progresses.
The two actresses are absolutely on the ball – they work well together and manage to show their different characters throughout the movie. The most terrible accident leading to the death of a child will disturb everyone who watches this film. But it is well worth seeing to enjoy the good acting on show and the development of the melodramatic thriller.
