Parents. Like everyone, especially morning talk shows insist, they’re the heroes of our society. From afar, the assumption most of the time is when you have that first kid, something inside you changes, like a parent switch turning on. But, what if it doesn’t? The Lost Daughter, an impressive first feature from Maggie Gyllenhaal, takes us down the rabbit hole of what parenting looks like from the perspective of someone who never had the switch, with an honest but soft lens.
Leda Caruso (Olivia Colman) is on holiday in Greece. Other than occasionally chatting with local helpers Lyle (Ed Harris) and Will (Paul Mescal), Leda keeps to herself, reading on the beach and then returning home. One day a giant family arrives on the beach, including a young mother, Nina (Dakota Johnson) and her daughter. Leda watches the relationship Nina has with her daughter and family, reminding Leda of her younger self (Jessie Buckley) raising two girls.
What an impressive screenplay from first timer Maggie Gyllenhaal! I guess she learned a thing or two on the movies she’s acted in. The Lost Daughter unfurls more like a crime thriller than a drama. I guess bad parenting is a societal crime? We start with present day Leda going about her life of solace, content with her regimented simple lifestyle. But each little observation Leda has watching Nina and her daughter brings pieces of her past up, like an orange peel slowly unfurling. Each new piece of information changes the character dynamics and audience’s perception of the movie they’re watching, creating a growing sense of dread as to some of Leda’s questionable actions and life choices. However, Gyllenhaal’s deft hand makes you understand Leda’s choices, even though you might abhor what she’s doing, a tough balancing act Gyllenhaal handles like a seasoned pro.
It certainly helps when Oscar winner Olivia Colman is your leading lady. Using that British charm and chaste nature in equal measure, Colman makes the older Leda into a complicated, fascinating character. When that stoic persona starts to unravel, Colman sells all the feelings that come to the surface, becoming a person she’d like to forget. Jessie Buckley is also excellent playing younger Leda, as she sells the transformation of the younger Leda into the Olivia Colman version we see today. Ed Harris, Paul Mescal, and Dakota Johnson give solid support in small roles here as well.
The Lost Daughter is for those unseen parents out there. The ones that maybe don’t take to their new role too well, but march on, hoping things will get better for them, hoping against hope. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Olivia Colman are here to make sure you’re seen, you’re not viewed as monsters, but that you also understand the consequences of the choices you might consider making. Or it could inspire you to go on a Greek beach vacation, who am I to judge?