The Lost Daughter (2021)

	Directed by: Maggie Gyllenhaal	COUNTRY Greece/USA GENRE Psychologicl drama NORWEGIAN TITLE The Lost Daughter RUNNING TIME 121 minutes
	Produced by: Charles Dorfman Maggie Gyllenhaal Osnat Handelsman-Keren Talia Kleinhendler
	Written by (based on the novel by Elena Ferrante): Maggie Gyllenhaal

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Leda Caruso	Olivia Colman
Young Leda	Jessie Buckley
Nina	Dakota Johnson	½
Lyle	Ed Harris	½
Callie	Dagmara Dominczyk	½
Will	Paul Mescal	½
Bianca	Robyn Elwell
Martha	Ellie Blake
Professor Hardy	Peter Sarsgaard	½
Joe	Jack Farthing

Review

A Greek holiday, a lifetime of guilt, and the interface between motherhood and womanhood. In her directorial debut, Maggie Gyllenhaal discusses female sexuality in the most understated way, which creates – or should I say adds to – an ever-present albeit subtle mystique in this subdued drama. The backstory is built upon what Gyllenhaal argues is an often inarticulated conflict between women's identities as a mother and a sexual being. And although the plotting in her story is slight, sometimes so much so that it hardly moves, the director has a knack for creating moods and letting them hang ominously in the air while giving her players the freedom to express and emote, with the camera stuck to their faces. None more so than Olivia Colman (The Favourite), who gives another strong, revealing performance in the lead. There are also intriguing, if ultimately somewhat underdeveloped roles by Dakota Johnson, Dagmara Dominczyk, and Paul Mescal, as well as fine turns from Ed Harris, Jack Farthing, and Jessie Buckley as the young Leda.