The Lost Daughter
★ ★★
The Lost Daughter sets up a lot of expectations but ultimately lands flat. It makes sense that an actor-turned-director (Maggie Gyllenhaal) created this film because she lofts up softballs for the actors to hit out of the park. She is not afraid to get close and intimate with her actors, and we get a lot of close-ups as the characters process their life choices. Olivia Colman is terrific, once again, and is always amazing at showcasing so much thought through her eyes. I was very invested in this story the whole way through, but the plot never resolves itself. The opening scene showcases a payoff that ends up being underwhelming and unnecessary.
I was unaware of this until the end of the movie, but it makes sense that this movie is based on a novel because I can see how it was difficult to translate a lot of context into the character's decisions. I think Gyllenhaal does a great job of showing and not telling, but I think she has to overcompensate for a screenplay that was trying to be accurate to the source material. The Lost Daughter is worth watching for the strong performances but it may leave a lot of viewers a little more perplexed than enlightened. For a directorial debut, Gyllenhall shows that she knows how to handle moods with actors and I'm curious to see what she takes on next.
