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
Updated 10 May 2024
Jasmine Bager
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.
DUBAI: Palestinian Chilean singer Elyanna joined Coldplay on stage this week during their concert in Dublin to perform their recently released song “We Pray.”
“I’m still in awe of last night! Sharing this moment with all these amazing artists on @coldplay’s stage felt so wholesome,” she wrote to her 1.7 million followers on Instagram. “I sang ‘We Pray’ in Arabic, I sang for hope and most importantly for my hometown Palestine.”
REVIEW: Jeff Goldblum shines as Zeus in modern-day Greek comedy ‘Kaos’
Updated 30 August 2024
Adam Grundey
DUBAI: Although “Kaos” is steeped in the world of ancient Greek myth, its story of an aging, vain, thin-skinned despot desperate to be worshipped and prone to lash out indiscriminately in rage if he feels slighted is, sadly, very of-the-moment.
In this case, that despot is Zeus (played beautifully by Jeff Goldblum), king of the deities, who lives on Mount Olympus with his wife (who’s also his sister — that’s the ancient Greeks for you) Hera (a regal and weary-of-cleaning-up-Zeus’-messes Janet McTeer).
“Kaos” is set in an alternative modern world where pantheism is still the prominent religion, and where the deities — and other figures from Greek mythology — move among humans. We jump into the action on the holy day of Olympia, when humans celebrate Zeus (via, among other ways, human sacrifice of a willing volunteer). A new monument to him is due to be unveiled, but when it is, it has been vandalized by a gang of Trojans. Coupled with the discovery of a new wrinkle on his forehead, this is enough to send Zeus spiraling, and he decides that an old prophecy about the end of his reign must be coming true — leading to ever-increasing paranoia and bad choices.
The catch is, at least according to the narrator, Prometheus (whom Zeus considers his closest friend, despite condemning him to an eternity chained to a rock while an eagle pecks at his liver), the prophecy is coming true. Or, at least, a series of events that will have the same effect is in motion.
Ostensibly, “Kaos” is a comedy. And there are certainly some very funny moments. But it’s also much deeper than that. In the first two episodes alone there are ruminations about the loneliness of falling out of love with your partner, gender politics, and the potential damage of parental expectations; (off-camera) infanticide; a magnificent scene of a young couple wordlessly pleading with The Fates to be allowed to enter the Underworld and try to recover their deceased son; and many takes on the danger of power. In other words, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into. And that’s without mentioning all the great portrayals of other figures from Greek myth (including Orpheus, Dionysus, Hades, Medusa, and Cassandra).
Show creator Charlie Covell has crafted something very special with “Kaos.” It’s an intelligent, compelling, very funny, and deeply moving show that richly rewards — and deserves — your attention.
Incoming: The best movies heading your way in the rest of the year
Updated 29 August 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: From long-awaited sequels to an intriguing biopic, these are the Fall/Winter films we’re most looking forward to
Gladiator II
Starring: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen
Director: Ridley Scott
When: Nov. 21
Discussions about a sequel to Scott’s huge 2000 hit “Gladiator” reportedly began the following year. It was another 17 years before official confirmation of “Gladiator II” was given, and a further five years before filming actually began. So there’s a considerable weight of expectation for all involved, particularly Paul Mescal, who is essentially stepping into the sandals of Russell Crowe’s iconic Maximus Decimus Meridius — albeit as a different character. Mescal plays Lucius, grandson of Rome’s former emperor, Marcus Aurelius, and son of Lucilla (Nielsen) — Marcus Aurelius’ oldest child — making Lucius the former heir to the Roman Empire. He is living with his family in North Africa when the Roman army invade and he is captured and forced into slavery. Inspired by the story of Maximus, Lucius resolves to fight as a gladiator and resist tyranny, under the guidance of the power-hungry Macrinus (Denzel Washington).
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
When: Sept. 5
The sequel to Burton’s 1988 cult-classic comedy horror sees Keaton reprise his role as the decidedly non-woke ‘bio-exorcist’ Beetlegeuse, while Ryder and Catherine O’Hara return as Lydia and Delia Deetz, and Ortega plays Lydia’s teenage daughter Astrid. Thirty-six years on from the events of the original, the three generations of Deetz females return to the family home in Winter River, where Astrid accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife, allowing Beetleguese to return to the world of the living and wreak havoc again.
Joker: Folie à Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Zazie Beets
Director: Todd Phillips
When: Oct. 3
The sequel to Phillips’ acclaimed 2019 movie “Joker” once again features Phoenix as the title character, loosely based on the arch-rival of Batman from DC Comics. Set two years on from the events of “Joker,” Arthur Fleck/Joker is now a patient at Gotham’s Arkham Asylum, where he falls in love with his music therapist Harleen ‘Lee’ Quinzel (Lady Gaga). The pair begin to experience shared delusions, and Quinzel transforms into her alter-ego of Harley Quinn. Outside the psychiatric hospital’s walls, Fleck’s followers launch a protest movement to secure his release.
The first of a two-film adaptation of the hugely successful stage musical of the same name, which is based on character’s from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” It is set in the Land of Oz, and follows green-skinned Elphaba (Erivo) — a misunderstood young woman who ultimately becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, adversary of Dorothy Gale in the “Oz” novels — and her friendship-turned-rivalry with the popular Galinda Upland, who becomes the mighty Glinda the Good. When the pair encounter the Wizard of Oz, their lives take very different trajectories.
A Complete Unknown
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning
Director: James Mangold
When: Dec. 24
Chalamet plays arguably the world’s greatest singer-songwriter, Bob Dylan, in this biopic that covers Dylan’s rise to prominence in the New York (then wider US) folk-music scene up to his controversial (for folk-music aficionados) switch from acoustic to electric instrumentation on his fifth album in 1965, and his subsequent live performances over the next couple of years (including his famed appearance at the Newport Folk Festival), where he was booed by many in the audience for what they saw as a betrayal of his roots, but which has since been recognized as one of his most inspiring creative periods and a vital moment in the development of folk rock.
Nosferatu
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp
Director: Robert Eggers
When: Dec. 24
Remake of the seminal silent German 1922 classic (itself based on Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”), about a young woman, Ellen (Depp) who becomes the obsession of Count Orlok (Skarsgard), a terrifying vampire who will stop at nothing to possess her. It requires some serious self-confidence to remake such an acclaimed piece of pop-culture, but Eggers has considerable pedigree as writer-director of two of the most accomplished and atmospheric horror (or, at least, horror-adjacent) films in recent memory, “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse.”
Alana Hadid puts spotlight on Palestinian stories through production company
Documentary ‘Walled Off’ is movie firm’s debut offering
Watermelon Pictures founded with Badie and Hamza Ali
Updated 26 August 2024
Raffi Boghosian
LOS ANGELES: Alana Hadid, often only recognized as the sister of supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid, is amplifying her own voice for the Palestinian cause.
Deeply passionate about her heritage, Hadid has been using her platform to bring attention to the struggles of the Palestinian people, particularly in the light of the ongoing events in Gaza.
Her activism is not restricted to just the online space; it is a deeply personal commitment to highlighting the stories that matter, she said.
“I was always hearing stories, stories about the cities and the towns that their ancestors helped build. The lives that they had and their lives as refugees and then eventually in the United States.
“But I was very proud, always proud of being a Palestinian. That was what I learned as a child,” Hadid told Arab News.
Shifting her focus to filmmaking, Hadid — along with brothers Badie Ali and Hamza Ali — co-founded Watermelon Pictures, a production company with a mission to create compelling, impactful stories that resonate with global audiences.
Through her work in film, she aims to bridge the gap between mainstream media and the often-overlooked narratives of the Palestinian people.
“I was honored to be asked to be the creative director of Watermelon Pictures. I think it’s not only a passion project for Hamza and Badie, but it is an opportunity for Palestinians to have a place to go to tell their stories.
“I get emotional about it. I think it’s just one of the most beautiful things that people have a place where they can put their stories. And we know that we have a safe place for that,” said Hadid.
The production company’s debut project, the 2024 documentary “Walled Off,” delves into the realities of life under occupation, offering a poignant and raw look at the experiences of Palestinians.
“The Waldorf Hotel’s design is by the graffiti artist Banksy. It contains a secret museum. And essentially the hotel has a view of what we call the worst view in the world, the apartheid wall.
“So really, this hotel provides the framework for the film and just demonstrates the difficulty of living under military occupation,” said Hadid.
Through this film and her future projects, Hadid seeks to amplify marginalized voices and bring a human face to the political issues that often dominate headlines.
“Watch our social media and our website to see what’s coming next. But we have a lot of stories. We haven’t heard these stories and these stories have been censored for so long.
“So, we’ve been flooded with not only movies that have already been made that really need to be seen, but also with filmmakers, actors, editors. And we’re really excited to just be a hub for that for Palestinians,” she said.
French Algerian singer Lolo Zouai goes goth at ‘The Crow’ premiere
Updated 26 August 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: French Algerian singer-songwriter Lolo Zouai embraced gothic fashion on the red carpet at the New York premiere of the upcoming comic book adaptation, “The Crow.”
Zouai, who divides her time between Brooklyn and Los Angeles, took to Instagram to share images of her all-black, lacy ensemble.
“The Crow,” by filmmaker Rupert Standers, stars Bill Skarsgard as Eric Draven, who is murdered alongside his girlfriend Shelly, played by singer-songwriter FKA Twigs in her second feature film role.
Existing somewhere between life and death, Eric transforms into the invincible superhero known as The Crow, who is determined to avenge the tragedy and sacrifice himself to rescue Shelly. Sanders’ new adaptation of James O’Barr’s comic book series arrives 30 years after the original 1994 film.
Meanwhile, Zouai, known for her unique blend of R&B, club-pop and hip-hop, has gained an international fanbase for her dynamic stage presence and genre-blending music.
Her career highlights include the release of her debut album, “High Highs to Low Lows,” in 2019 and her follow-up album “PLAYGIRL” in 2022.
In April, Zouai took to Instagram to celebrate the five-year anniversary of her debut album. “Happy 5 years to the album that started it all,” she wrote. “Thank you to all my lil lo-riders for being on this ride with me from the beginning.”
To celebrate the milestone, Zouai brought back merchandise pieces originally created at the time of her debut album, including some signed clothing.
Second album “PLAYGIRL,” released in October 2022, featured 13 songs. The singer was featured on a billboard in New York’s Times Square and she shared a video of herself posing in front of it.
“I always said that one day, I would be on a billboard in Times Square. Today is that day,” she said in the short clip.
An expansive tour in 2023 included 30 dates across North America and Europe, including the US, Canada, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.