Maggie Gyllenhaal’s feature directorial debut is truly a small triumph.
Based on the novel of the same name by author Elena Ferrante, The Lost Daughter follows languages professor Leda (Olivia Colman) as she spends time alone on a trip to sunny Greece and works on her academia.
However, her mostly solitary peace is interrupted by the chaotic arrival of a large American family - hinted to have criminal connections - who invade her quiet existence on the sunny Greek beach.
Among the family is the faintly ethereal young mother Nina (Dakota Johnson) who Leda finds fascinated by and prompts her to recall her own memories of herself as a younger mother (Jessie Buckley) to two daughters.
With a pervading sense of sadness, unease and isolation, Gyllenhaal consistently avoids the expected beats and plot developments, charting a discomforting and unpredictable journey through the past and present of her protagonist.
Despite containing a supporting cast stacked with noteworthy and skilled actors - Ed Harris, Peter Sarsgaard, Normal People star Paul Mescal, Succession actress Dagmara Domińczyk - this is very much Colman’s show and what a performance she puts in.
Not since her Oscar-winning turn as Queen Anne in The Favourite has Colman been able to flex both her gut-wrenching take on tragedy and the awkward comedy that she made her name with and all the emotions in between.
Despite the enigmatic quality of Leda and her sometimes unlikeable actions, Colman ensures an inherent likability and empathy that means we are drawn to this prickly every step of the way.
The flashback sequences which serve to inform our understanding of Leda are much less subtle but Buckley is once again outstanding as the younger take on the same character, even if she does not have the same wealth of material to mine as Colman.
Meanwhile, despite not getting much chance to flex her more expressive side, Johnson makes an impression both visually and atmospherically - her knowing smiles and suspicious stares beneath layers of eye makeup and peered through a black fringe. These combine to make Nina an equally unknowable character opposite Leda.
The dance between Leda and Nina is a highlight of the entire film as the audience questions the nature of their connection, building to a rather complicated climax.
Another brilliantly judged character is the cinematography from Helene Louvart, bringing forth the wrought emotions of Leda in both the present day and the torturous flashbacks.
Meanwhile, despite this being her first feature film as a director and being a tad slight in places, Gyllenhaal has crafted an emotionally complicated interrogation of femininity, motherhood, monogamy and identity with no easy answers.
Ultimately, if this is only the beginning of the director and screenwriter’s filmmaking then we surely are in for some treats in the future from Gyllenhaal.
Verdict
The Lost Daughter is an achingly sad directorial debut from Maggie Gyllenhaal that serves to showcase the myriad talents of star Olivia Colman.
*The Lost Daughter was shown at the 2021 BFI London Film Festival is released in UK cinemas on January 7, 2022.