Title: Mothers’ Instinct
MPA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Benoît Delhomme
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Anders Danielsen Lie
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins

What It Is: Alice (Chastain) and Celine (Hathaway) are neighbors and friends living next to one and other. When tragedy strikes one of them it’ll test them as mothers and women. It’ll put a strain on their relationship both with each other and with their respective husbands. But the grief of it all may be too much for them to handle. And as one women begins to get close to the son of the other tension begins to mount.

What We Think: This is a very sufficient film. There’s nothing here that will blow you away but it’s competently made. This was one of those in one eye out the other experiences. It lacks the moments in it to stick with you. Chastain and Hathaway truly are two immensely talented actress but they aren’t given enough to sink their teeth into here. I think that’s the films biggest sin. That it doesn’t commit enough to itself, to it’s story to give these actors adequate dialogue. Anders Danielsen Lie and Josh Charles as the husbands do not feel substantive enough. They’re simply afterthoughts.

Our Grade: C-, Very mid. More mid then the talent involved should be. Director Benoît Delhomme gets caught up in making the film look like something rather then feeling like something or having enough substance. He nails the 1950’s, early ’60s aesthetic he was obviously going for. You’re more than welcome to check this out when it drops July 26th but frankly it is rather boring, and overall not really worth the time. Unless you’re like, super into period pieces or Mad Men. Either way the instincts of this film were incorrect and not done well enough.