The stage curtains open ...
"Mother's Boys" is a good example of thriller films that were prevalent back in the 1990's. Jamie Lee Curtis had newfound fame in cinema behind films like, "A Fish Called Wanda", "Blue Steel" and "My Girl" and rode that right into this movie. A year after this one, she would star in "True Lies" with Arnold Schwarzenegger. So, this was arguably at the height of her popularity - and she delivers a fun performance here.
Curtis plays the role of Jude, a woman displaying sociopathic behaviors, who has returned home after an unexplained 3 year absence, in an effort to reunite with her estranged husband and three sons. When she gets back however, she finds that he wants more than a divorce, he is also planning to marry his new love, Callie (played by Joanne Whalley). Jude formulates a very clever plan to try and seduce her husband, win over her boys, and eliminate what she perceives as a threat in Callie, once and for all. She will go to any lengths to get her way, but when things get out of control, everything spirals down to a climactic finish.
This was a solid film with a very good performance by Jamie Lee Curtis. The whole film hinges on this, as the supporting acting was cursory. What makes this film work is Curtis. She sold me on being a sociopath - that, coupled with some nifty camera work made it very effective. Most especially during some scenes where the camera focuses in on her eyes - you can almost see what is going on behind them. The story was plausible, along with the explanation of what made her this way. The pacing is good as the movie keeps thing moving right along.
I enjoyed the movie when it first came out, and again all these years later. I recommend "Mother's Boys" at a very solid 7 stars out of 10. It was disturbing when it had to be, throwing in a couple of jump scares to keep you awake. The plot and characters were developed well enough to keep you invested. I would certainly watch this one again, and if you enjoy a good thriller, then you should watch it too.
"Mother's Boys" is a good example of thriller films that were prevalent back in the 1990's. Jamie Lee Curtis had newfound fame in cinema behind films like, "A Fish Called Wanda", "Blue Steel" and "My Girl" and rode that right into this movie. A year after this one, she would star in "True Lies" with Arnold Schwarzenegger. So, this was arguably at the height of her popularity - and she delivers a fun performance here.
Curtis plays the role of Jude, a woman displaying sociopathic behaviors, who has returned home after an unexplained 3 year absence, in an effort to reunite with her estranged husband and three sons. When she gets back however, she finds that he wants more than a divorce, he is also planning to marry his new love, Callie (played by Joanne Whalley). Jude formulates a very clever plan to try and seduce her husband, win over her boys, and eliminate what she perceives as a threat in Callie, once and for all. She will go to any lengths to get her way, but when things get out of control, everything spirals down to a climactic finish.
This was a solid film with a very good performance by Jamie Lee Curtis. The whole film hinges on this, as the supporting acting was cursory. What makes this film work is Curtis. She sold me on being a sociopath - that, coupled with some nifty camera work made it very effective. Most especially during some scenes where the camera focuses in on her eyes - you can almost see what is going on behind them. The story was plausible, along with the explanation of what made her this way. The pacing is good as the movie keeps thing moving right along.
I enjoyed the movie when it first came out, and again all these years later. I recommend "Mother's Boys" at a very solid 7 stars out of 10. It was disturbing when it had to be, throwing in a couple of jump scares to keep you awake. The plot and characters were developed well enough to keep you invested. I would certainly watch this one again, and if you enjoy a good thriller, then you should watch it too.