By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Liz Garbus
Starring: Amy Ryan | Gabriel Byrne | Lola Kirke | Thomasin McKenzie
Country: united_states
Year: 2020
Running time: 95
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3111426/reference
Michael says: “LOST GIRLS is based on true events surrounding the Long Island serial killer investigation in 2010. Mari Gilbert, a single mother, embarks on her own investigation when her eldest daughter goes missing and the police prove to be unconcerned and ineffective. Last seen fleeing from the home of a client in a gated Long Island community in seaside Ocean Beach, Shannan Gilbert, was working as a prostitute through Craig’s List. Through Mari’s bull-headed digging, the police are forced to begin a cursory investigation, which leads them to discover the skeletal remains of four missing girls. To the police, a dead prostitute is an inevitability, but to Mari, and the families of those who had been missing, they are daughter, sister, friend… and her unwillingness to let the ineptitude of the police might stem from her feeling of failure as a mother, but it’s also a desire to learn the truth and to bring her daughter home. It’s a grim tale with little hope of a happy ending, but Mari while tough and foul-mouthed, is a heroine you can get behind, warts and all. And things are never as simple as they seem, such as the reason why Mari gave her oldest daughter up to the foster care system, and the fractious relationship she has with her remaining two daughters. Supported by the mothers and sisters of the discovered victims, Mari never gives up, even as every trail goes cold, and obstacles loom over every horizon.
“Academy Award winning documentarian Liz Garbus, does a great job with her debut narrative work, that has the authenticity of a true story, but with narrative arcs that are compelling and powerful. The shots of the marshes and overgrown beaches of Long island serve as a beautiful yet slightly menacing backdrop to this tragic tale. The performances really shine, led by the fantastic Amy Ryan in the lead. She never loses her hard exterior, but our sympathies go to her as she slowly reached out for the support of her colleagues, and in turns looks toward her daughters. Thomasin McKenzie (Chlotrudis nominee for LEAVE NO TRACE) has a quiet but strong role as Mari’s oldest remaining daughter, Sherre. Gabriel Byrne is subdued and the one glimmer of hope as the Commissioner of an otherwise unconcerned police force. And then there’s that one supporting actor — someone who isn’t in many scenes, but your eyes are always drawn to her even when she isn’t speaking. The mother of one of the victims, from rural Maine, no glamor, no polish, but no bullshit either. I was thinking as I watched her, ‘I’ve got to watch the credit to see who this woman is… she’s going to get a nomination!’ And lo, and behold… the beloved and talented Miriam Shor! Barely recognizable, but so, so good. This one was powerful, but in a way that kind of creeps up on you. It’s hard to keep the tension and drive in a piece that’s purely investigative, with little hope of a flashy resolution, but in the hands of Garbus and her cast, she brings it all together in a satisfying and powerful way. 5 cats“