Saturday, September 28, 2024

'His Three Daughters' A Review

His Three Daughters is a drama about three sisters Christina(Elizabeth Olsen), Katie(Carrie Coon), and Rachel(Natasha Lyonne) who are attending the death bed of their father in his NYC apartment.

All three actors are at the top of their craft and give absolutely captivating performances. Coon is icy, anxious, and controlling, of the three the most grating to watch at the beginning which makes her transformation into a more relatable human that much more impactful. Olsen, after being underutilized for years in the MCU, kind of emotionally explodes in this, not explicitly, but you can just see her talent bursting forth and the gratification she has in tackling this challenging role. Her character is in some ways the most mysterious and idiosyncratic and she takes full advantage. Lyonne doesn't really have the same approach as the other two actors, she's a movie star, but she tamps down and subverts her charisma, channels it into vulnerability and a kind of listless perseverance that is captivating. It cannot be understated how impactful it is to see these three share the screen. The supporting cast is solid but mostly they come and go and the focus is, justly, on the sisters.

The production is minimal, taking place primarily in one location, the apartment, with limited scoring and restrained camera work focused more on capturing the dramatic action rather than visual artistry. As a result it feels intimate and serves the themes and aims of the film and almost surprisingly feels more impressive due to that discipline. Writer/director trusts his story and more importantly trusts his actors, the production fluidly, organically flows around that and all serves to deliver this meditation on family and death that has humor, pathos, and insight.

Three of the years best performances within a moving even inspiring story about grief and connection.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't Miss It.

No comments:

Post a Comment