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Film reviews

Mothers’ Instinct Review

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The title of this film comes to mind as concerning in that it implies a parent senses wrongful or disconcerting matters. Thestoryline vibes with housewives’ scenarios going awry discreetly. Mothers’ Instinct tackles the subject matter on an eerie path. It follows the personalities of two friends who are neighbors. In the wake of a devastating event, a series of detrimental consequences are unleashed. Directed by Benoit Delhomme, Mothers’ Instinct is written with an underlying layer of mistrust guided by red flag patterns.

The plot is centered around the 1950’s time frame. It is set in a time when the husbands are the ones making the dough to provide for families, and the wives are staying home to do the many home duties including taking care of the children. The film focuses on two friends who are also mothers, housewives, and neighbors, and they are Alice (played by Jessica Chastain) and Celine (played by Anne Hathaway). Both are stay-at-home moms with husbands on successful career paths. The happy life of one is disrupted by an upsetting tragedy. That tragic event opens a can of worms with unforeseen consequences in Mothers’ Instinct.

With the term “unforeseen” there is a blur between the film’s line of friendship and trust. This is all in the performances of Chastain and Hathaway and under the direction of Delhomme. The  tragedy has occurred in the life of Celine, and Alice is the one who senses what may have gone wrong in the told scenario is not the full truth. She suspects Celine is detrimental and insane. The characterizations are faithful to the context of knowing little leading to major consequences. Its execution though, not so exhilarating.

In all, a clear context, yet the storyline is a setup around discomfort that does not have value. It only finds itself to create peril through characterizations created by stressful moments. The pattern begins with a fatality, moves on to another detrimental situation, and then continues with even more weird moving parts. A lot of it has to do with the thoughts of a mother wanting to protect her child. The dangerous one is Celine, and the protective one is Alice.  There is a scene that creates a tone for Celine to be unstable, however, the film in and of itself is all “unstable.” It boils down to melancholy with layers of tension and revenge that is not fulfilling or unique.

It soon descends into boredom despite the deception of these two daring mothers. The inner thought of concern is where the line of the film does not get crossed vigorously. Those “inner thoughts” are through the eyes of Alice and Celine. A bipolar disorder that spirals to compete, as both parties go insane on drastic levels of absurdity. It feels meaningless.

I did find that the background of the film’s characterization generates an emphasis on the personalities of its two main characters. The fact that they are the ones at home with their children and have utmost concerns. Overall, though, the motherly side of them is where Mothers’ Instinct is a drag in its mode of creating psychological suspense. The jealousy side and controversial side lacks context. Instead of building a foundation, it flows with a bizarre layout of over-assumptions.Two out of four stars for Mothers’ Instinct.

Film reviews

Memory Review

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Memory is a film that deals with past problems that remain and the life going forward that is yet to navigate. It shows that moments of the past can raise their heads to bring out the worst in people’s lives. It also explores the different sides from various angles centered around a conflict. Memory is a film about channeling anger. Director Michel Franco brings his audience into a world where choices led to consequences and how they have evolved as time went on. Memory is true to its story and its direction as details come into play. It displays that there is still good that can be done regardless of what was done in the past.

The film is centered on a woman named Sylvia, played by Jessica Chastain. She is dealing with past issues of substance abuse and a whole range of other problems. She has a daughter named Anna, played by Brooke Timber. Sylvia is a social worker in a daycare for adults with learning disabilities. She helps people who are incapable every day. She is also trying to reconcile a difficult relationship with her Anna as well as tryingto grow closer to her sister Olivia. Olivia is played by Merritt Wever. Sylvia is introverted due to her emotions. She decides to come out of her shell and attend her high school reunion. As she walks back from her reunion, an odd gentleman follows her back home. This gentleman, Saul, is played by Peter Saarsgard. At first, Sylvia is confused by Saul’s presence. She gets in touch with his brother Isaac, played by Josh Charles, and learns that Saul has dementia. From Sylvia’s realization, she sees that Saul is also having trouble adapting to life due to past problems and mental health issues.

The writing and dialogue feel a bit generic at the start of the film. The melancholy vibe if the directorial style seems appropriate for Memory. There is the concept that after dealing with hard times its main characters do not have much to say. What they do have to do though, is to deal with the reality of the present. Franco’s directing is faithful in this portrait of a drama that is one-of-a-kind.

The correlation of conflicts that lies beneath the surface for both Sylvia and Saul creates connections of empathy in Memory. The melancholy feeling of Memory is a landscape of human emotions. Despite both Sylvia and Saul dealing with their detrimental scenarios, they learn to reassess their lives. That is because of their shared past. They went to the same high school and have had underlying problems that they have carried with them forever. Despite their rough history and troubling conflicts, Sylvia looks after Saul on a regular basis. They spend time together and build a relationship, but is their growing relationship because of their vulnerability?

There is also that side of Sylvia showing deeper concerns for her daughter. Her daughter has that attitude of being hateful and vindictive, because of how much her mother shelters her. As Sylvia navigates her errors with her daughter, she sees more growth with helping Saul. As Sylvia gains clarity, she begins to care seriously about her daughter’s secretive behavior. Anna is distraught at how her mother has rules and how she feels her life is in turmoil. The dynamics of Memory are vast with problems going from one individual to the other. It is hard for Sylvia, Anna, and Saul to keep their heads high, but all they can do is try. It is a more difficult struggle for Saul than it is for Sylvia. Sylvia can support herself financially, but Saul cannot. The past and mental health problems impact him the most.

It is an experience where any human can feel rough emotions from the past at any time in their life. Anna finds herself distraught with her mother’s silence—it is belittling and condescending with layers of detrimental conflicts. The lighting in the film is neutral—that is in juxtaposition to the dynamic between Sylvia and Saul in Memory. The truth of Sylvia’s problems is a harrowing past that is unforgivable. Sylvia and Saul are fall in love simply because they feel there is no one else to care for them. Those who are in their lives only remind them of their failures.

Memory is not an experience of happiness. There is a neutral quality throughout the film meant to enhance its sense of reality. The eerie and quiet feeling displays the emotion of a loving heart. The performances of Chastain and Saarsgard is a revelation of humanistic nature, and it is a ride of mixed feelings that keeps its audience thinking about the human condition thoroughly. Three and a half out of four stars for Memory.

Film reviews

The Good Nurse Review

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Being employed in the medical field is serious business. There are a lot of rules and regulations surrounding confidentiality, not just for patients but for medical professionals as well. The Good Nurse is a true story that shows how wrong things can go when those rules and regulations allow someone who can’t be trusted to care for seriously ill patients. As someone who has family that works in the medical field, this film spoke to me. And it shows how hospitals have changed since the true events of The Good Nurse.

Although The Good Nurse is a feature length film, its cinematography is like watching a hospital TV show. Many scenarios are rushed and the dialogue is not really enthralling. The plot of the film introduces us to nurse Amy Loughren, played by Jessica Chastain. She is a workaholic nurse with two children, and works constantly to make ends meet. Amy has a good heart with her patients and has a good home life. A new nurse, Charlie Cullen, played by Eddie Redmayne, joins Amy’s ward. He appears to have positive and caring qualities that lift Amy’s spirits when she gets down at her job. But as their patients start to die one-by-one, Amy starts to believe that Charlie is the one causing the deaths. Detectives Danny and Tim (played by Nnamdi Asomugha and Noah Emmerich) are assigned to the case, but confidentiality at the different hospitals where Charlie previously worked makes it an ordeal to get proof to put an end to Charlie’s terrible acts.

Redmayne’s performance as Charlie is sinister with a charm. He rides his evil side. Hospital confidentiality has protected him over the years and has allowed him been able to just move to another hospital when he was fired. And that confidentiality has also allowed him to continue in his evil ways.

The Good Nurse is not exactly brilliant, but it is haunting. The many patients who died makes the film disturbing. We fear for the safety of the patients, and also the safety of Amy. Chastain’s performance as Amy is breathtaking and daring, but the film is depressing. It is certainly not a feel-good movie, although I will say it is faithful to its harrowing story. It was worth a watch but it may be hard to watch again. Two and a half stars for The Good Nurse.