The premise

The two actors play next-door neighbours whose lives become interlinked with guilt, tragedy, and manipulations. The premise has it all: campiness, costumes, and a spiral of melodrama. But alas, the result is a movie too sunlit, too heavy-handed, and a bit too serious for its own good.

Celine (Anne Hathaway) and Alice (Jessica Chastain) are suburban housewives who become the best of friends, understanding each other’s dreams and moods like long-lost sisters. Alice is holding together well considering how delicate her condition was at one point, and Celine provides her able support- two women who share the joys and worries of motherhood. Their pitch-perfect lives come crashing down with the shocking death of Celine’s son Max (Baylen D Bielitz), who slips and falls from his home’s balcony above. Alice blames herself, and Celine can no longer stand to face her.

This devastating loss tears apart the domestic idyll of Celine and Alice’s lives. Celine’s husband Damian (Josh Charles) takes to the bottle, and their relationship gets a little worse every passing day. Her depression threatens to ruin the façade that the neighbours try to pull in the months after, even as Alice cannot seem to understand how to save a friend.

What works

Alice has her own anxieties along the way, which become more real as she realizes that Celine might be plotting something way more sinister behind those empty stares. Her husband Simon (Anders Danielsen Lie) does not believe her. Is she daydreaming? Can this be real?

Mother’s Instinct has so much potential to be one of those campy, highly entertaining yet morbid psychodrama of the year that make for a perfect repeat watch. However, the telling lacks nuance and a keen eye for character. The tone, often punctuated with brightly lit frames of pastel-coloured outfits, rings decidedly off to pull this melodrama to its pulpiest potential.

Final thoughts

Jessica Chastain is wonderful in the rather thankless part and makes Alice’s fragility her greatest weapon. She is matched beautifully by Hathaway’s razor-sharp assessment of Celine—a woman slowly losing a sense of herself. One wishes they had the chance to go more theatrical with these roles; these women had all the elements to go for a Joan Crawford-Bette Davis-like dirt-slinging. However, it lacks the killer instinct of a Hitchcockian thriller.

Nevertheless, Mother’s Instinct manages to be a willingly safe melodrama that settles its dust without much trouble.

Mother’s Instinct is now available to watch on Lionsgate Play.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3, 2024.

Directed by Jeff Fowler.
Starring Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Krysten Ritter, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Alyla Browne, Lee Majdoub, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, Adam Pally, Tom Butler, James Wolk, Jorma Taccone, Cristo Fernández, and Sofia Pernas.

SYNOPSIS:

Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance.

Watching Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a vindicating experience. For years (possibly decades by now), whether it be the first two Sonic the Hedgehog movies, Bayformers, and plenty of other examples that exist out there, there has always been a firm feeling among many that if these filmmakers and studios forced aside the damn human characters and focused on who viewers are here to see (which doesn’t mean crowded, embarrassing fan service), the results would likely be worthwhile.

This might be the first live-action/CGI hybrid feature of its kind that almost entirely does away with its already established human characters (discounting staples of the game people actually want to see, such as Jim Carrey’s returning Dr. Robotnik, once again with ample screen time) and trust that there is enough compelling story within the source material to adapt sincerely that fans and nonfans alike will come away satisfied.

Granted, in the case of Sonic the Hedgehog, director Jeff Fowler (who has directed all three of these firms) didn’t have much to work with since the Sega Genesis games weren’t necessarily known for story or characterization (as the games branched out into different gameplay mechanics and evolved with the industry’s technology, so came attempts at telling stories within them), somewhat forced to bring human characters into a cinematic adaptation. However, over the previous two films, he and screenwriters Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington have gradually and gracefully brought in more nonhuman characters to join forces with the lightning-fast Sonic (voiced by a returning Ben Schwartz), such as tech gadget specialist fox Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and brawling, literal-minded Echidna warrior Knuckles (another amusing voiceover performance from Idris Elba.)

This installment brings Shadow the Hedgehog into the mix, bursting with chaos energy and hell-bent on revenge-fueled destruction. Toss in a long-lost grandfather Robotnik (also played by Jim Carrey, opening up an entire separate dimension for his reliably impressive brand of physical comedy and strange noises), and the filmmakers now have enough characters to where the likable but also intrusive human additions can be pushed off into the background, making an appearance for cameo purposes or when it actually fits the story being told. Despite that, some human cameos don’t need to be here, aren’t funny, and feel contractually obligated more than anything. For the most part, though, everything is much more tolerable and sensible.

Aside from the prologue, when Sonic’s human best friend Tom (James Marsden) and his partner Maddie (Tika Sumpter) pop up, it’s not solely for jokes but typically to push forward a specific central theme regarding loved ones, dealing with anger, and important choices in life that directly correlate to with what Shadow (voiced by Keanu Reeves in John Wick mode, which is pleasantly fitting for the character) is going through.

Having been contained and studied for roughly 50 years upon being discovered in a meteorite crash, Shadow has escaped and is obsessed with bringing forth chaos and ensuring others feel his pain. Such torment movingly plays out in flashbacks, revealing that while he was frequently experimented on, Commander Walters’ daughter Maria (Furiosa‘s Alyla Browne, already a notable effusive presence from these two movies alone) occasionally broke him out to play and developed a close bond. She became the only bright spot in his experience on Earth, meaning that one doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that something tragic eventually happened.

It appears that whoever is cooperating with Shadow is also utilizing whatever is left of Dr. Robotnik’s technological weapons. The mad scientist turns out to still be alive and has put on a few pounds (although not quite as heavy as the character’s depiction in the video games, but considering there are more movies to come, one presumes he might not be done gaining weight) while watching Spanish soap operas and chilling with his loyal minion Agent Stone (Lee Majdoub.) Enemies decide to join forces to discover who is behind the commotion temporarily. Agent Stone realizes that Sonic and company aren’t just a team but also friends, a dynamic he wishes he could have with Dr. Robotnik. As previously mentioned, Dr. Robotnik discovers that his grandfather (just as diabolically insane and intelligent) is alive, paving the way for another familial dynamic and some nutty off-the-wall chemistry between two Jim Carreys.

And while there are unquestionably brief stretches of horrendously delivered dramatic dialogue from supporting characters and cringe gags (dancing across a hallway filled with lasers), there is a moving-through line of heroes and villains forced to look within themselves and determine who they ultimately want to be, especially as betrayals occur. Perhaps most importantly, it leads to impressively staged action that is epic in scale, showcasing Sonic and Shadow beating each other senseless across the entire planet and into outer space, amplified by genuinely emotional stakes regarding love and loss.

With Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Jeff Fowler and company have found the right balance of humor (even Jim Carrey feels reinvigorated and energized more than in the first two, up for the goofy acting challenge presented that is right inside his slapstick wheelhouse, while also simply given mostly funnier material to work with) and frenzied action elevated by strong, vibrant CGI (this is unquestionably one of the better-looking special-effects extravaganzas of recent memory) alongside an engaging story. There is a case to be made that Shadow’s back story could have been even longer and not limited to a couple of flashbacks, but the right characters here are put front and center, which makes all the difference for a Sonic adaptation to click.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is aware it doesn’t always “gotta go fast,” occasionally slowing down to ensure we care about these characters while laying out its themes with affecting sincerity.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=embed/playlist

A serial killer on the loose. The killer has a pattern – he/she brutally maims the target, leaving them with a gory smiling face. Enter a high-ranking police officer diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, who has only one year before his memory fades forever. Now, this is a story that has the potential to be developed into a high-octane thriller with twists and turns. But, does Sarath Kumar’s 150th film, The Smile Man, live up to expectations? Let’s find out!

Chidambaram Nedumaran (Sarath Kumar), a CBCID officer, is recuperating from an injury. To make matters worse, he’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and has just one year left to preserve his memories. Before his injury, he was involved in the investigation of The Smile Man case. While he is trying to adapt to his new lifestyle with memory loss, a series of similar killings take place, forcing Chidambaram to reopen the case.

This time, however, Chidambaram must battle his declining health while investigating the case to unmask the killer. Why was the Smile Man case closed before his injury? Is there anything more than what meets the eye? Who is the killer, and what is their motive?

Director duo Syam and Praveen’s The Smile Man has a solid story at its core, though it might remind you of thrillers, Ratsasan and Por Thozhil. A serial killer story has a predictable template, but a film can stand out from the crowd because of the way the story and screenplay are treated. That way, The Smile Man is an illogical thriller that reeks of amateur making. The killer leaves a smiling scarred face on the victims and the pattern should ideally shock the audience. But, the poor prosthetic makeup hardly makes it look menacing.

Here’s the trailer:

The portrayal of journalists in The Smile Man is poor, anf the dialogue is one of the film’s biggest drawbacks. For example, the CBCID officer casually throws around words like ‘copycat killer’ without any solid basis. The reasons given are so futile that it forces you to not take the characters seriously.

The killer’s face is hidden for half of the film, and when it is eventually revealed, it fails to deliver any excitement. Similarly, the killer’s motive and his backstory are told and not shown. The justification hardly makes sense and one could spot a lot of logical loopholes.

TThe film’s music tries to evoke emotions but falls flat. Before each murder, a growl indicates what’s coming, and before the killer strikes, the music warns you. This removes the element of surprise, which is crucial to a good thriller.

Sarath Kumar is the only actor who gives his all in an attempt to salvage this poorly executed story. The rest of the performances, except for those by George Maryan and Kalaiyarasan, make little impact.

The Smile Man is a lost opportunity considering the potential it showed. If only the screenplay had been handled better, the film could have had a much stronger impact.

2 out of 5 stars for The Smile Man.