Film Review: ‘Mother’s Instinct,’ a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the end

A scene from “Mother’s Instinct” showing Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain as mothers in the neighborhood. (Supplied)
Short Url
Updated 10 May 2024
Follow

Film Review: ‘Mother’s Instinct,’ a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the end

  • Anne Hathaway plays "the perfect mother" in this 2024 psychological thriller in a remake of a French film, which itself was a novel adaptation

Anne Hathaway has played many roles over the course of her career: a surprise princess, an assistant to a fashion magazine editor, a recovering addict, Cat Woman. In “Mother’s Instinct,” she plays a mother — the perfect mother.

In this 2024 psychological thriller — a remake of a French film which itself was a novel adaptation — Hathaway is joined by Jessica Chastain. The two play best friends who are living the American dream.

They are next-door neighbors. Their husbands are the best of friends, as are their eight-year-old sons. They live in an affluent neighborhood in cookie-cutter 1960s’ suburban America. Everything seems idyllic.

The film begins with Celine’s (Hathaway) birthday. Alice (Chastain) and the women’s husbands throw a surprise backyard party. Celine receives a pearl necklace, a joint gift from their family and friends. It’s a wonderful celebration.

But the next day, there’s a tragic death.

One of the young boys falls from a balcony under suspicious circumstances. At the time, he was being supervised by the other mother.

The film forces us to ask: How can a mother live with herself after she entrusted her son’s life to her friend? Could anyone forgive themselves? Could they forgive their friend? 

By mid-film, there are still two mothers — but now one is childless. The one whose son has survived feels guilt. The one who lost her boy feels fury. Both feel grief.

As the story unfolds there are more deaths and we begin to wonder: Did one mother deliberately harm the other’s son? Who is innocent here? Who is evil? Was it an accident or a deliberate act? And who will die next? 

Events become more sinister. Nothing seems perfect anymore. Even the beautiful pearl necklace ends up broken on the floor, the tiny gems rolling around chaotically.

First-time director Benoit Delhomme does a good job of leading our eyes where he wants them to go. The cinematography is beautiful, while the styling and outfits are divine.

This film keeps you guessing until the end. And there is no happy ending; sometimes, the happy ending is that there is one at all.


Sara Al-Madani teases ‘plot twists’ in Season 2 of ‘Real Housewives of Dubai’

Updated 30 May 2024
Follow

Sara Al-Madani teases ‘plot twists’ in Season 2 of ‘Real Housewives of Dubai’

DUBAI: Emirati entrepreneur Sara Al-Madani is ready for an explosive second season of “Real Housewives of Dubai,” premiering in the region on OSN+ on June 3.

“If people thought Season 1 was crazy, I mean, Season 2 is insane. It’s fun. It’s beautiful. It’s deep. There’s a lot of plot twists. Expect the unexpected,” said Al-Madani in a recent interview with Arab News.

“After doing Season 1, you kind of embody that experience more and get more comfortable with it. Because imagine you’re sitting in a location with 40 people (and) cameras in every corner. It is not something that you can easily ignore. In Season 2, we understood how to do things better. We are more comfortable, you see the personalities louder and you get to know people better because we just embodied the whole experience,” she continued.

Season 1 will see Al-Madani reunite with her Season 1 co-stars Chanel Ayan, Caroline Brooks, Lesa Milan and Caroline Stanbury, with new housewife Taleen Marie joining the group.

About Marie, Al-Madani said: “I love that the circle is getting bigger. But at the same time, I feel like I didn’t get to know her very well yet because she is Brooks’ close friend. So, I feel like we didn’t have enough time to get to know each other on a personal level.

“I mean, it was interesting, but also because it is a new person. And that person wants to prove their position in the group. So sometimes they overdo things. And the truth is, as a woman, I see you, I honor you, I feel you. You don’t need to go far with anything. So, she’s a very nice girl,” she added.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Bravo (@bravotv)

When asked about her biggest learnings from Season 1, Al-Madani said: “You just have to have strict boundaries. Don’t allow people to cross your red lines and disrespect you in any way.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Bravo (@bravotv)

She also had a message for her fans looking forward to Season 2.

“I just want to tell all my family that supports me out there that you don’t have to worry. I’m still maintaining my character and my authenticity. Sometimes it gets hard because some of the girls really push you out of character with situations you’re in and all that. But I’ve done the inner work. So, it is not easy to get me in a space beyond who I am. I’m very authentic,” Al-Madani said.

“But at the same time, I want to tell everybody that as nice and sweet as I am, I also don’t let people mess with me and you’re going to see that this season to a lot. People have this wrong idea about nice people. They’re like, ‘Oh, she’s spiritual. She’s all about healing, love and light. She’s never going to react. We’re going to push her buttons and she’s going to be fine with it.’ No, we’re not. We create no issues, but we take we take none either. We don’t let people mess with us, too. We have a dark side, but we know when to unleash it.”
 


Jerry Seinfeld hits back at Pro-Palestinian protesters

Updated 30 May 2024
Follow

Jerry Seinfeld hits back at Pro-Palestinian protesters

DUBAI: US comedian Jerry Seinfeld  has hit back at Pro-Palestinian protesters saying that his comedy shows becoming the target of protests is “so dumb,” adding that demonstrators should “correct their aim.”

The 70-year-old was recently heckled by a protester at a standup gig and also saw dozens of students walk out of his commencement speech at Duke University earlier this month.

Speaking to host Bari Weiss on her podcast Honestly, Seinfeld said: “I love that these young people, they’re trying to get engaged with politics. We have to just correct their aim a little bit. They don’t seem to understand that, as comedians, we really don’t control anything.”

Asked about how he deals with facing protests personally, Seinfeld replied: “It’s so silly. It’s like, they want to express this sincere, intense rage. But again, a little off target.”

“So that’s, to me, comedic,” he said.

He continued: “We’re tribal animals. We’re social creatures. We look for agreement and consensus. We’re driven by agreement and consensus and mob rule — it gives us comfort, gives us certainty.”

Seinfeld has been vocal in his support for Israel following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.

The comedian also met with families of the hostages and visited a kibbutz during a trip to Israel in December.

The walkout at Duke's graduation was the latest manifestation of protests that have taken over US campuses as students call for universities to divest from arms suppliers and other companies profiting from the war.


Dua Lipa denounces ‘Israeli genocide,’ calls for Gaza ceasefire

Updated 29 May 2024
Follow

Dua Lipa denounces ‘Israeli genocide,’ calls for Gaza ceasefire

DUBAI: British singer Dua Lipa has taken to social media to denounce Israel’s military operations in Gaza as an “Israeli genocide” in an Instagram Story post shared with her 88 million followers.

The Grammy-winning artist, who has Kosovo Albanian heritage, also used the trending hashtag #AllEyesOnRafah that is being used online following Israel’s bombing of the Palestinian city.

“Burning children alive can never be justified. The whole world is mobilising to stop the Israeli genocide. Please show your solidarity with Gaza,” the singer wrote.

The singer shared a post on an Instagram Stories. (Instagram)

It is the strongest condemnation Lipa has made so far in Israel’s eight month bombing campaign that followed an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

In December, she wrote: “With each passing day, my heart aches for the people of Israel and Palestine. Grief for the lives lost in the horrifying attacks in Israel. Grief as I witness the unprecedented suffering in Gaza, where 2.2m souls, half of them children, endure unimaginable hardships. For now, I desperately hope for a ceasefire in Gaza and urge governments to halt the unfolding crisis. Our hope lies in finding the empathy to recognise this dire humanitarian situation. Sending love to Palestinian and Jewish communities worldwide, who bear this burden more heavily than most.”

Meanwhile, English singer-songwriter  Paul Weller, who performed in front of a Palestinian flag on his recent tour, spoke against Israel in an interview with British newspaper the Observer in May, saying: “Am I against genocides and ethnic cleansing? Yes, I am, funnily enough. I can’t understand why more people aren’t up in arms about what’s going on. We should be ashamed of ourselves, I think. One minute you’re supplying bullets and bombs and guns, and then you’re sending over food. How does that work?”


Elisabeth Moss turns British spy in action thriller ‘The Veil,’ alongside Lebanese actress Yumna Marwan

Updated 30 May 2024
Follow

Elisabeth Moss turns British spy in action thriller ‘The Veil,’ alongside Lebanese actress Yumna Marwan

  • Lebanese-Palestinian actress Yumna Marwan plays suspected terrorist
  • Show explores the fraught, surprising relationship between the 2 women

DUBAI: US actress Elisabeth Moss — who made her name through prestige shows including “Mad Men” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” — is returning to television as a British MI6 agent in FX’s “The Veil,” available to stream in the Middle East on Disney Plus.

“I love the spy genre. I love all the spy franchises, but I don’t know if we’ve seen this kind of story on television before. At least, not in a while. For that reason, I am excited for people to get hooked by how fun, entertaining and global this story is,” said Moss in a recent interview with Arab News.

Elisabeth Moss is MI6 genius Imogen Salter. (Supplied)

The show explores the surprising and fraught relationship between two women who play a deadly game of truth and lies on the road from Istanbul to Paris and London. Moss is MI6 genius Imogen Salter, while Lebanese actress Yumna Marwan plays Adilah El-Idrissi, a suspected commander of a terrorist organization.

Imogen finds Adilah in Turkiye and convinces her to flee with her. During their journey, Adilah and Imogen bond in unexpected ways, while the rest of the world’s spy network hunt them down.

“‘The Veil’ is an action-packed and international drama. I think that’s the hook. And then, of course, there are these two characters at the center of it all. Imogen and Adilah are the emotional truth and the emotional heart of the story. I think we’ve achieved a great balance between the character drama and the complexity of that, as well as a lot of fun,” added Moss.

For Moss, all of 1.6 meters in height, playing an action hero did not come naturally. “I’ve done a fair amount of fight scenes before, but it’s usually on the defensive. Usually, I play a character who isn’t trained to fight.

“What was really fun and different about this was she’s a trained fighter, so she would have learned how to do the things she does and be quite good at them. That was really cool for me,” said Moss.

The actress took quite a few hits in the process, too.

“When there’s a huge, massive leap and fall, obviously I physically don’t know how to do that, so my stunt double would do that for me — but I certainly got pushed really hard.

“I actually fractured my back when we shot on the rooftop scene (in episode one), so we had to go back six weeks later and shoot that again. What you see in the show is actually our second attempt. We got really good at it by then,” she said.


New film festival in London seeks to ‘reclaim, celebrate’ Muslim identity

Updated 28 May 2024
Follow

New film festival in London seeks to ‘reclaim, celebrate’ Muslim identity

  • Event features narratives from Muslim filmmakers, productions inspired by Muslim culture and faith

LONDON: A new film festival in the UK is on a mission to explore Muslim experiences through film.

The inaugural Muslim International Film Festival will begin on May 30 in London’s Leicester Square.

The four-day event features narratives from international Muslim filmmakers as well as productions inspired by Muslim culture and faith.

“The idea behind the festival is about reclaiming our identity and celebrating it. For the longest time, being Muslim has felt like something we can’t be proud of,” MIFF director Sajid Varda told Arab News.

He added: “We’ve had to hide our identity, and the narrative around our faith and identities has often been controlled by others.

“There’s been a persistent frustration with how to change those perceptions and how to reconnect with wider audiences and communities.

“We want to give them a glimpse into our lives and lived experiences, while also showcasing the cinematic brilliance of our creative community and its contributions to cinema.”

The event will begin with the London premiere of “Hounds” (“Les Meutes”) by Moroccan director Kamal Lazraq. The film follows a father and son in Casablanca’s suburbs who make ends meet by committing petty crimes for a local mob until a kidnapping goes horribly wrong.

Other highlights include critically acclaimed films set in the UK, France, Turkiye, Tunisia, Jordan, Iran and Sudan.

The festival will include Q&A sessions, panels and networking events in partnership with the British Film Commission, Netflix and the BBC.

Organizers have made the festival as accessible as possible to wider audiences, Varda said.

“We wanted to ensure that the films align with our faith and ethos, avoiding gratuitous violence, nudity and overtly sexual themes. This makes the content accessible to all, not just Muslims, but also people of other faiths and beliefs who might be sensitive to these issues.”

He added: “Our ticket costs are much lower compared to other festivals. We’ve also given out many tickets at no cost to various organizations, and offered discounts to students and those facing financial hardship.”