His Three Daughters starts out feeling somewhat rote. But as its story moves forward it begins to grow slowly in directions that you don't necessarily see coming. It lulls us in making it seem father familiar, yet then explores some interesting threads which we don't expect. This is highlighted by the amazing cast and their connection as actors playing sisters and everything going on between them. Each one is written to fill a very traditional role yet their relationships remain very interesting due to the commitment of the stars and what they bring to the story.
The three sisters are each a familiar archetype, the neurotic controlling one - the laid back hot mess - and the people pleaser who is covering up just how tightly wound she is. Jacobs' script starts from these places but allows for its actors to interpret more into their characters. That is much of what Jacobs' strength here is, giving the framework for his cast to truly step up and shine. I loved watching Coon, Lyonne, and Olsen work together and make these women feel alive and real.
There are little things I liked about how Jacobs filmed his story. For example there is a moment where a character is pausing, building up to a decision to do something they know they might regret but also they need to do. Jacobs pulls the camera away, around a corner, but we can see the subtle movements of the character reflected in picture frame glass. It is a moment filled with tension and possibility that captures a very real feeling. There is also a moment when he has gathered the three sisters and after some moments of talking at each other, they begin to speak truth, each their own. It isn't a moment of resolution yet it is release.
Jacobs takes a bold swing near the end that may or may not work for all audiences. Jacobs script even inserts a meta moment when a character suggests how difficult it can be to capture what loss is in writing. But these are the sorts of things I appreciated about His Three Daughters, a film that contains a lot of exorcising of anger and resentment and a lot of playing with what is expected, all of which is grounded in the three central performances that are incredible to watch. Overall its inconsistencies do not take away from how satisfying it can be.
His Three Daughters
Starring: Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, Rudy Galvan, Jovan Adepo, Jay O. Sanders
Writer/Director: Azazel Jacobs
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