The Lost Daughter is a powerful film addressing genre/style/concepts such as "deconstructing the patriarchy" and "mother's empowerment through freedom of choice." Perhaps that won't come as a surprise to most as M. Gyllenhaal is at the helm. These ideas in focus can be considered divisive, to say the least, but also fabulous concepts for a directorial debut as controversy keeps people engaged. And for that my hat is off to Maggie.
Leda has led quite the checkered past. She is selfish, bitter, vindictive and a generally unpleasant middle-aged woman to virtually all the other cast she comes in contact with in the film. She married youngish, and had two girls two years apart in age. Her husband is always away for work so her contempt for the role of mother is tested daily as her encouragable(as Leda sees it) daughters continuously disrupt her attempts to focus on her Italian literature dissertation. These memories are salt and peppered about in flashback form and, to little surprise, have taken severe mental and physical toll on Leda present.
The film's present sequences focus on Leda's misadventures with an ostentatious and particularly boorish family whom is sharing holiday space on one of the Grecian Island resorts. One of the family members, Nina (Dakota Johnson - who has incredibly redeemed her 50 Shades roles) has an equally seemingly encouragable daughter that is the catalyst for Leda's early motherhood flashbacks. Nina befriends Leda and confides in her struggle to raise her daughter within her close-knit riff-raff of a family.
In one of the flashback sequences, Leda chose to have a professional affair which led to her ultimate decision of abandoning her children to her husband who is beside himself. Leda later catches Nina (who's husband is equally as unavailable as Ledas) fooling with the resort 'pool boy' and thus the cycle of selfishness has transcended across mothers. Leda is led to assume Nina is looking for a way out of her motherly predicament.
For both Leda and Nina, the joys of motherhood would be just that, joyous. For the two they feel the work needed be put in rearing children does for Leda and will for Nina cause selfishness, infidelity and ultimately bitterness.
This film can be interpreted as both a criticism and inspiration for struggling mothers and the daily choices they are faced with. The tone is generally depressing, but there are hints of bliss; though all appear to be short-lived and ultimately, the price of freedom for action from a mother's choice will undoubedly extract a heavy toll.
The acting throughout is absolutely tip top. The plot and tone has some left to be desired. The soundtrack and cinematography is unremarkable. 6/10.
Leda has led quite the checkered past. She is selfish, bitter, vindictive and a generally unpleasant middle-aged woman to virtually all the other cast she comes in contact with in the film. She married youngish, and had two girls two years apart in age. Her husband is always away for work so her contempt for the role of mother is tested daily as her encouragable(as Leda sees it) daughters continuously disrupt her attempts to focus on her Italian literature dissertation. These memories are salt and peppered about in flashback form and, to little surprise, have taken severe mental and physical toll on Leda present.
The film's present sequences focus on Leda's misadventures with an ostentatious and particularly boorish family whom is sharing holiday space on one of the Grecian Island resorts. One of the family members, Nina (Dakota Johnson - who has incredibly redeemed her 50 Shades roles) has an equally seemingly encouragable daughter that is the catalyst for Leda's early motherhood flashbacks. Nina befriends Leda and confides in her struggle to raise her daughter within her close-knit riff-raff of a family.
In one of the flashback sequences, Leda chose to have a professional affair which led to her ultimate decision of abandoning her children to her husband who is beside himself. Leda later catches Nina (who's husband is equally as unavailable as Ledas) fooling with the resort 'pool boy' and thus the cycle of selfishness has transcended across mothers. Leda is led to assume Nina is looking for a way out of her motherly predicament.
For both Leda and Nina, the joys of motherhood would be just that, joyous. For the two they feel the work needed be put in rearing children does for Leda and will for Nina cause selfishness, infidelity and ultimately bitterness.
This film can be interpreted as both a criticism and inspiration for struggling mothers and the daily choices they are faced with. The tone is generally depressing, but there are hints of bliss; though all appear to be short-lived and ultimately, the price of freedom for action from a mother's choice will undoubedly extract a heavy toll.
The acting throughout is absolutely tip top. The plot and tone has some left to be desired. The soundtrack and cinematography is unremarkable. 6/10.