Hungry Hearts – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview

What starts as your generic New York romance evolves into two parents with different ideas of how to raise their child, and with one method posing a possible threat to the child’s health.

Trigger Warning(s): Domestic Violence

Review (with Spoilers) – Below

Characters & Story

Jude (Adam Driver) and Mina (Alba Rohrwacher) meet in a bathroom, which they get stuck in, and things evolve to them falling in love, getting married, and becoming parents. Which leads to an issue. With both of them being vegans, there comes a slew of health issues during Mina’s pregnancy which carry over to her trying to care for the child. Leading to Jude questioning whether Mina can be left alone with the baby and whether he should seek legal alternatives or try to convince Mina that something needs to be done for their child’s health and well-being.

Praise

What a strange film to watch on mother’s day. One which has a mother who is suffering from depression, post-partum depression, or some sort of mental change, which leads her to almost become a new person once her body preps for a baby. And while many would craft such a role into someone who looks like a psycho or a caricature, arguably Rohrwacher finds a way to try to keep her character from tipping toward either side. After all, she is a first-time mother, who wants her child to share the same diet, but her son being a baby leads to issue. Of which Driver plays an excellent father for he, just as much, shows the difficulty of trying to co-parent, yet put the health and safety of your child first. Something which we see becomes increasingly difficult as he has his wife’s feelings, and knowledge, battling with the recommendations of a doctor.

Criticism

Being that no one is trying to present an erratic character, and the main focus is on Mina, Jude, and Jude’s mother Anne (Roberta Maxwell), honestly the film can become dull at times. For while Mina does present the idea that she may intentionally try to harm the baby, and there always seems like there may be a chance Jude may try to legally fight for custody, the ending clears both of these possibilities out of the way to bring an abrupt solution. One which really comes out of nowhere and seems like the type of decision made since neither of the aforementioned options seemed like a path worth taking.

Overall: TV Viewing

While it can be a tad bit boring, you will make it through to the end. If only because it is so curious how these two are trying to co-parent, that you are left wondering what will happen between Mina possibly killing the baby, to Jude legally getting custody and then leaving his relationship with Mina in flux. And while the solution to the problem comes out of left field, the film remains a decent way to kill time.

Things to Note

The trigger warning is due to Jude, twice, injuring Mina when it comes to the baby’s health and wellbeing. Thus increasing the idea that as much as she might not be all there, he certainly isn’t a saint.