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doomonfilm · 2 years

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Thoughts : The Lost Daughter (2021)

Dagmara Domińczyk

It’s a special thing to see an actor take their years of experience in front of the camera, working with multiple directors and generally building a body of work, all to eventually turn things around and contribute to the canon of film by taking a crack at things from the director’s chair. Be it the likes of Clint Eastwood, George Clooney, Robin Wright, Regina King, Jordan Peele, Jonah Hill, John Krasinski, Bo Burnham, Greta Gerwig or any other countless number of names I’m forgetting, the results are almost always interesting, and now we have been blessed with the pleasure of adding a new name to this list : Maggie Gyllenhaal. Thought her acting career is likely far from over, a handful of production credits over the past couple of years has led to her 2021 feature film debut in a writing/directing role, The Lost Daughter, an adaptation of the 2006 Elena Ferrante novel of the same name.

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Maggie Gyllenhaal sets the table for her film by placing Leda (her protagonist) in a vacation situation, a locale and travel selection that is primarily done for celebration, escapism and relaxation. Rather than dwell in these realms, however, Gyllenhaal subverts expectations by turning the vacation scenario into a realm of isolation, self-reflective regret and the need to come to terms with the past. While most people vacation to relax, we find Leda doing just the opposite as she sits alone observing, avoids intimacy when she isn’t struggling within the midst of it and navigating through a number of conversational landmines with strangers. Through this, it is implied that Leda struggles with showing restraint and with her perceived judgement of others, even when she is acutely aware of the collateral damage that can be found in the wake of these things. Her ruminations on her self-image in relation to how the remainder of the world perceives her are not only displayed through her interactions with the male gaze, but through her own constant dwelling in her memories as the now reminds her of her shortfalls in the past. What we are ultimately left with is a dose of tough self-love that grows squarely from Leda coming face to face with the reality that she is a bad mother and less than ideal wife, and we are asked to walk with her through the process of accepting this and learning to still grow.

While probably not intended, it is interesting to take this film in knowing that it was written and directed by an American telling a story about a British woman vacationing in Greece, with the antagonist role being largely filled by either Italian or Latin-based (forgive my ignorance) characters. We are lead to believe that the cultural observations, clashes and differences of opinions that arise from this scenario would send all parties involved running from common ground, and yet, once Leda’s darkness begins to rise to the surface based on remembrances caused by her interactions with Nina and Callie, common ground suddenly begins to have a deeply magnetic pull to the cadre of women struggling with motherhood. This juxtaposition creates a handful of interesting narrative mysteries we get to watch unfold, with issues like cultural misunderstandings, wrong foot encounters and deep personal reflection all serving as the basis for said mysteries. With the specter of post-traumatic stress lingering in the midst of the shadows threatening to present itself as viewers gain a deeper narrative understanding, we find ourselves waiting for the symbolic other shoe to drop in regard to Leda’s life and spirit, not to mention her ability to reconcile with the children she clearly damaged.

In terms of technical aspects, the most immediately recognizable touch is how dark, moody and deeply dramatic the lightning choices can be for the film... while the sun tends to bring all things to light (no pun intended), anything that doesn’t take place under its watchful eye is absolutely drowned in shadows and darkness, creating a “tension in paradise” scenario. The cinematography enhances these feelings by making sure to stay the course in terms of illustrating the isolation, separatist feelings and standoffish nature of interaction, as communicating adults almost never share a frame when the moments are explicitly tender. For a dramatic, slice of life film, the sound design is surprisingly deeply immersive, with the insects, sound of water and nature all making their presence continually known while Leda moves cautiously through her vacation paradise. Musically, a back and forth between a jazz-based score and symphonic one do wonders for mood-setting and tone, while the diegetic sound is infectious Latin music. Overall, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directing is full of the patience and observant nature that normally comes from a veteran director, with her pacing relying heavily on individual moments that unveil larger truths rather than standard exposition dumps.

Olivia Colman has received the lion’s share of praise connected to this film, and it is certainly apparent why, as she is able to make the regrets and what-ifs that come with reflecting on parenthood and make even the ugliest parts feel at least somewhat appealing through her calmness and resolve. Perhaps it’s the chronologically reverse foundation that Colman lays that enhances Jessie Buckley’s shared performance as Leda... all of the peaceful acceptance shown by Colman makes the panic, frustration, stress and regret that Buckley exudes hit that much harder. Interestingly enough, a similar parallel dynamic exists between Dagmara Domińczyk and Dakota Johnson, with Domińczyk mirroring present day Colman and Johnson directly reminding present day Colman of her younger child-raising experience. A base level tension Domińczyk and Johnson full of sisterly jealousy and negative history as well. Ed Harris and Paul Mescal provide Colman with tension-filled distractions based on their different ways of communicating their attractiveness, while serving the dual role of being harbingers of doom in regard to Leda’s interactions with Nina and Callie. Peter Sarsgaard helps bring the frustration of young Leda to life through his carefree spirit and implied recklessness, which stands starkly in the face of Leda’s need for peace and order from kids that, inherently, cannot meet and fulfill her desires. A large supporting cast brings the rest of the world to life, with highlights including performances by Jack Farthing, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Robyn Elwell, Ellie Blake, Alba Rohrwacher, Nikos Poursanidis, Alexandros Mylonas and more.

While it feels that I have shared much about this film, to go any deeper into what makes this film so strong would be to do anyone interested in having an unfiltered experience with it an injustice. It is crystal clear that Maggie Gyllenhaal is attempting to make a timeless film, and for my money’s worth, she does any amazing job doing so, which is even more impressive considering this is her directorial and writing debut (as mentioned several times before). In a different year, The Lost Daughter would certainly stand to make a good showing during awards season, but the competition this year is amazingly stiff. That being said, don’t be surprised if The Lost Daughter does manage to walk away with one or two awards.

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