His Three Daughters

Elizabeth Olsen has yet another new release, our Scarlet Witch has been using her powers to bend the laws of time allowing her to film multiple projects at once and back to back. In addition to the Love and Death mini series that was filmed alongside His Three Daughters last year, The Assessment dropped this year and she has 3 more upcoming projects for the future. She has certainly been busy.

We immediately open with an anxiety ridden monologue from what seems to be very clearly the eldest child. Then Lizzie comes in and rambles about how suddenly her fathers condition has turned. And then we hear from the last daughter who is apparently the only one who has been with their dad day in and out and she is self medicating with marijuana.

This already feels like a stage play. It seems very raw, lots of quick banter and monologues. Even the way things are staged. The girls are sitting in a circle, it's very stripped down and simple. Now this isn’t exactly a new concept or story; family coming back together to see through the death of a loved one. Sisters with different personality types. But what sets this story apart is that these stories seem to be running alongside each other, they are all kind of wrapped up in their own little worlds. The oldest sister is, of course, forcing her will on her sisters. I am gonna venture that Lizzie is the middle sister and our weed smoker is the youngest. That feels like obvious family dynamics.

The oldest sister is clearly struggling with raising her teenage daughter, and has insecurities about being a mother. This translates into her being a raging bitch to her younger sisters. She really seems to have issues with the youngest's life choices, even though she has been the one to take care of their father for who knows how long. Oldest daughters feel the need to control everything, if things aren’t done their way then it's the wrong way. I say as an oldest daughter.

Lizzie’s character, Christina, seems very wispy. She is easily overpowered by her older sister and seems to just want to keep the peace. She is a mom with a younger daughter who she really misses and bridging the gap between her sisters seems important to her.

Then we have Rachel, the youngest and the pothead. She is clearly detaching herself from what is happening around her. She has been confronted with her fathers condition day after day and now that her sisters are around her she seems to be checking out.

Christina grabs Katie and Rachel as soon as things start to go south with their dad and Katie immediately jumps into action but Rachel hovers outside the door, unable to get herself to help or bond with her sisters at all. Rachel’s boyfriend is also super out of line, people outside of the family do not get any input on how a family handles each other or the patient at the end of their life. He also just wants to smoke a blunt inside the house against Katie’s wishes, which is gross. Because the shit smell of weed affects more than just you. It gives some of us some migraines and you in fact do not get to smoke just wherever and whenever you feel like. It's legal in the confines of your house and that's it, keep that shit away from other people. Mkay end of rant.

Lizzie is so incredible with the dramatic this really is her wheelhouse. Christina tries to be the mediator between her sisters. Ooof and I was wrong, Christina is the youngest, and the pothead is the middle child. That tracks actually.

I love how they just let their be silence. Sometimes there are shots of stillness with none of the characters in frame and we spend a lot of time in the film in quiet. We get to let the dialogue hang in the air, it allows the actors to actually do their jobs and I love that.

I see, the main point of contention between Rachel and Katie seems to be that Rachel was adopted by their father and Katie feels like she has some sort of ownership over him because they are blood related.

His Three Daughters is a brilliant portrayal of family dynamics and how grief can change and overtake these dynamics. The film is quiet, letting the grief, and pain fill the screen. The actresses do an incredible job of inviting the audience into their world and giving us insight into their individual neurosis. It's brilliant, beautiful and heartbreaking. I do believe that the film meets Oscar requirements and all 3 women are worthy of nominations as well as the movie itself. The writing is incredible and I would love to see it get the recognition that it deserves.