Oliva Coleman (The Favourite, The Father) continues her recent run of extraordinary performances in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut, The Lost Daughter, a movie about the pressures of motherhood. Set in the present day on an unnamed Greek island. Leda (Coleman), a divorced Italian Literature professor from the United States, is on a solo vacation at a lower-level seaside holiday rental managed by the affable and a tad eccentric Lyle (Ed Harris – The Abyss, The Hours). When first meeting Lyle, we think he might be in the movie; you might feel you are in store for another of Harris’s outstanding performances. But, unfortunately, he’s not much of a factor, and I wonder why he even chose to take this role.
While enjoying alone time with her novel on a local beach, Leda’s peace is interrupted by Nina (Dakota Johnson – Fifty Shades of Grey, Our Friend), a boisterous New Yorker, and her extended family. The initial encounter between Leda and Nina isn’t especially pleasant as Leda declines the request of a member of Nina’s family to move her chair to a nearby location to accommodate her large group. However, the more cordial Nina comes shortly after apologizing for her family member’s behavior, an apology that Neda accepts. The duo forms an instant friendship. Nina has a young, elementary school-aged daughter. Leda sees a lot of herself in Nina.
Gyllenhaal skillfully offers parallel shots of her as a young mother herself. The younger Leda (Jessie Buckley – The Courier, Judy) of 15 years prior was an overwhelmed, often irritable mother of two insecure and dependent daughters, trying unsuccessfully to balance her home life and an ambitious career. Through conversation, we learn that she had an affair and soon after flees from her marriage and abandons her daughters for many years, only reconnecting with them now when they are much older. There is a mysteriousness with Leda, both with her past and some of her actions in the present. Yet, she’s still a likable protagonist. We learn much about Leda, but Gyllenhaal keeps us at arm’s length from really understanding her. Perhaps Leda doesn’t understand herself. Her previous life was far less chaotic than her present one. Did she know that she wouldn’t handle motherhood, or was this something she only learned through experience? How can she help Nina? Will she be supportive or give her the bare-bones truth?
The Lost Daughter slowly builds as an eloquent, psychological drama. It’s almost as if we’ll miss it if we don’t pay attention. Leda, overwhelmed by memories of fear and doubt of motherhood that affected her in her younger years, now has a chance to revisit those feelings through her new friendship with Nina. Through her vacation and increasingly intimate interactions with Nina, Leda is forced to face the choices and consequences she made as a young mother.
In a year where Best Actress in a Leading Role will shape out to be one of, if not the, most competitive categories, Coleman seems like one of three locks (along with Jessica Chastain for The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Kristen Stewart for Spencer). Since my late September review of The Eyes of Tammy Faye, I have said that Chastain had secured the award. However, I may have jumped the gun. Her performance was still the best, but The Lost Daughter, Spencer, Being the Ricardos, and House of Gucci may resonate more with the critics.
The Lost Daughter is a film made for mothers, particularly those who struggle with the weight and demands of motherhood. As neither a mother nor a father, I could sympathize with Nena’s situation, but I couldn’t empathize as others (mothers, fathers, and caregivers of children could). The Lost Daughter is a very well-made film. It could be more enjoyable, but that’s not the purpose of all movies.
There are triggers that some audiences will be ill-prepared to handle. These will hit a striking chord with some. We have all seen movies before that hit our core that we are not ready for when we first sit down. For me, comparable movies to The Lost Daughter are Take This Waltz, Blue Valentine, Me Before You, All the Pretty Girls, and 500 Days of Summer. There are others, but these are a few that I thought of off the top of my head.
Plot 9/10
Character Development 9.5/10
Character Chemistry 8/10
Acting 9/10
Screenplay 9/10
Directing 9/10
Cinematography 9/10
Sound 7.5/10
Hook and Reel 7.5/10
Universal Relevance 10/10
87.5%
Movies You Might Like If You Liked This Movie