Dagmara Domińczyk | Scott's Film Reviews-1,505 Reviews posted!!! RECENTLY LAUNCHED-MY TOP 250 FAVORITE FILMS AND TOP 40 HORROR FILMS!!!

The Lost Daughter-2021

Director Maggie Gyllenhaal

Starring Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson

Scott’s Review #1,232

Reviewed February 21, 2022

Grade: A

Throughout The Lost Daughter (2021), there is a constant feeling of dread that may result in viewer anxiety. We know that bad things are coming, but we do not know how or when. This makes for good drama done exceptionally well by director Maggie Gyllenhaal in her astounding debut.

She has acted for years and has made the transition to writer/director.

Gyllenhaal adapts her film from a novel written by Italian author Elena Ferrante. The experience is extremely female-centered, and having a female pen both book and film makes it a rich and authentic project.

The result is a brilliant depiction of motherhood and choices, making it essential for everyone to see and appreciate this film.

However, the film is not for everyone, nor will it please those seeking a conventional work about mother and daughter love and moments of happily skipping through the field of daisies. It has feel-good moments, but it’s much darker than some might expect.

For me, those aspects are what make The Lost Daughter so damned amazing.

We meet middle-aged Leda (Olivia Colman) when the woman embarks on a seaside vacation in Greece. She begins to observe a young mother, Nina, played by Dakota Johnson, and her daughter, Elena, on the beach and becomes obsessed with them.

Leda unwisely butts heads with the mother’s menacing extended family, who may be mafia-related.

Leda begins to have memories of her early motherhood when she struggled to raise two young girls while balancing her career as a professor. When she spontaneously steals Elena’s doll, she becomes increasingly obsessive, battling moments of rage and emotion.

Colman is a perfect choice for the central character. From the first moment she appears on the screen, we know there is conflict surrounding her. She is consumed by anger and either guilt or tension.

The actress is outstanding at portraying Leda’s complexities through her eyes and facial expressions. Many shots of Leda quietly observing events or sitting on the beach, deep in thought, are powerful.

Though a quiet film, The Lost Daughter never drags or lags, thanks to Gyllenhaal’s perfect portrayal of a doleful atmosphere. I was dying to know Leda’s secrets, and the interspersing flashbacks to a young Leda, wonderfully played by Jessie Buckley, finally provide resolution.

But that’s just the beginning of the fun. Once Leda’s backstory is revealed, and Gyllenhaal makes us wait quite a while for the reveal, there are more places for the film to go, like what about the stolen doll?

The viewer will not only wonder why Leda stole the doll but also why she won’t return it, especially when it’s known how desperately the family wants it back. Will they kill her when they find out she has it?

Beneath all the drama, a lingering question is posed to the viewers. Do I want to be a parent? The film is not only for women, but men can certainly ask themselves the same question.

The inclusion of a male character played by Ed Harris is evidence of this. In his youth, he struggled with being a father.

The film has a sense of purpose and meaning that many films lack. A film that poses questions and makes the viewer squirm a bit is top-notch for me. The basic story of a lone woman on vacation evolves into a tale of intensity and psychological warfare within oneself and one’s feelings.

The Lost Daughter (2021) is a complicated watch, but it offers a lesson in outstanding acting, directing, writing, and how atmosphere and mood can enhance a story layered with intrigue.

As shocking and unsettling as moments are, I was left feeling satisfied that I had seen something of worth and merit.

I can’t wait to see what Gyllenhaal does next.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Olivia Colman, Best Supporting Actress-Jessie Buckley, Best Adapted Screenplay

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 3 wins-Best Feature (won), Best Director-Maggie Gyllenhaal (won), Best Screenplay (won), Best Supporting Female-Jessie Buckley

The Immigrant-2013

Director James Gray

Starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix

Scott’s Review #293

Reviewed December 5, 2015

Grade: A-

The Immigrant (2013) is a lovely, classic, old-style Hollywood film set in early 1920’s New York City.

The film is a classic tale of a poor Polish immigrant who travels to America in hopes of a better life, only to be met with hardship, manipulation, and conflict.

However, The Immigrant is not a downer. Rather, a powerful and intriguing story of life and the clichéd pursuit of happiness with a compelling love story mixed in.

Nominated for Best Actress for Two Days, One Night, eligible the same year as The Immigrant, this is a good example of how the Academy got it wrong as Marion Cotillard should have been nominated for this performance instead of the other.

The actress was, however, recognized with an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress for this role. A true talent, she gives a wonderful performance.

Little is known about Ewa’s (Cotillard) life before she arrives on Ellis Island with her sister Magda in tow. We meet them as they disembark a ship and wait in line on the immigration line, weary from their escape from war-torn Poland.

They have escaped their native country in hopes of a better life in the United States.

Unfortunately, Magda is ill and cannot hide a cough and is sent to the infirmary most likely before being sent back to Poland. Ewa desperately needs money and is told that her Aunt and Uncle have not shown up to collect her as she had originally thought.

Ewa is now on her own and desperate in a land where she knows not a soul.

As the plot unfolds, Ewa encounters two men who enter her life- Bruno (Joaquin Phoenix) and Emil (Jeremy Renner)- brothers with a rivalry, both professionally and in regards to Ewa. They both fall in love with her- she is gorgeous and innocent after all.

But can the men be trusted? Are their feelings true? We begin to get to know the men better and all may not be exactly as it seems or originally appeared to be.

The Immigrant perfectly captures the 1920s era cinematically with gorgeous cinematography and camera work.

Directed by James Gray, a director with a tendency to direct films set in New York City and feature a romantic element (Two Lovers comes to mind- also starring Joaquin Phoenix as a Jew pursuing a blonde girl).

In The Immigrant, I felt like I was transported to the 1920s with Bruno’s dark coat and bowler and the character’s costumes in general.

The Lower East Side, from the automobiles to the theaters, seems like that’s how it was back then- charming, artistic, and yet combustible too.

Marion Cotillard gives a soft yet tough performance as the long-suffering, heart-of-gold Ewa. The character’s yearning to keep her traditional catholic values while transported into a new and dangerous world filled with corruption and the need to survive is heartbreaking and Cotillard wears her heart on her sleeve.

She is also tougher and more stubborn than we first think she is- she will not be taken advantage of and these aspects give the character complexity.

I did not see her as a victim.

Let’s not forget the men in the film and while it borders on turning into a “woman’s movie” towards the climax, and Cotillard is front and center, Phoenix and Renner are flawless.

Phoenix, with the larger role, is extremely complex and it takes the audience until the final scene to entirely figure Bruno out.

I wish The Immigrant (2013) would have found a wider audience, but for fans of a traditional, classic, romantic Hollywood experience, this film is a treat.

It will take you back to an earlier time in the world- in a completely authentic way.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Female Lead-Marion Cotillard