By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Dagmara Dominczyk | Dakota Johnson | Ed Harris | Jessie Buckley | Olivia Colman | Paul Mescal | Peter Sarsgaard
Country: greece, united_states
Year: 2021
Running time: 121
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9100054/reference
Michael says: “Bravo to Maggie Gyllenhaal for adapting a complex novel into a visually arresting, and thematically engrossing film in her first time out as a screenwriter and director. Leda is a middle-aged woman visiting a resort in Greece for a solitary getaway, to write. She seems perfect happy to be on her own, and is somewhat brusque to those who try to reach out and engage in small ways. When her peaceful day at the beach is interrupted by the arrival of a large, loud, and intrusive extended family, who take over both physically and emotionally — their every drama broadcast to all around them — Leda does her best to keep to herself and enjoy her solitude. An encounter with the group’s matriarch turns into a bit of a pissing match, and things begin to take a darker turn. When a toddler from the large family goes missing, it strikes a chord in Leda from her younger days raising two daughters, and she is moved to help find their little girl, which she does, becoming a bit of a hero, albeit still mistrusted, by the family.
“This is just scratching the surface of the complex story Gyllenhaal is telling. The film bounces between Leda’s present to her past, raising her two girls, and feeling confined by motherhood in a way that runs counter to what society tells us is supposed to be the case. Leda grows increasingly paranoid about the behavior of the family even as she becomes more and more entangled in their presence. Gyllenhaal does a great job tightening that paranoia so that the viewer is caught up in it, not knowing if simple actions have grave protest, or are being misread. Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley are marvelous as Leda in the past and the present, taking a character that may come across as unsympathetic and making her merely human, doing her best to raise her kids, or live her life quietly on her own. Great support is all around with Ed Harris, Peter Sarsgaard, and Dagmara Dominczyk of particular note. With a terrific somewhat ambiguous ending that generated a lot of conversation at our discussion group, THE LOST DAUGHTER left us somewhat divided, but I fell clearly on the positive side, and applaud Gyllenhaal for her assured ability to tackle a difficult subject and create an entertaining and compelling film. 4 1/2 cats”
Chris says: “Never would’ve thought to have Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley play older and younger versions of the same person, but it works beautifully with both of them expertly bringing to life a thorny, difficult, intriguing character. As a director, Maggie Gyllenhaal makes wise and sometimes risky choices as well from the eloquent yet bluesy score to the litheness where time and memory is concerned. Altogether, a hard-edged gem of an adaptation. 4.5 cats“