‘The Lost Daughter’ movie review: Olivia Colman revels in haunting tale of motherhood
The Hindu
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut, based on Elena Ferrante’s novel, is a wonderfully thought-provoking start to the New Year
Elena Ferrante’s slim, (144 pages) 2008 novel is vividly brought to life by Maggie Gyllenhaal in her directorial debut. 48-year-old academic Leda (Olivia Colman) decides to go on a vacation to Greece after her daughters leave to join their father and her ex-husband, Joe (Jack Farthing).
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While initially enjoying her freedom and the gentle attentions of the caretaker Lyle (Ed Harris), Leda soon gets increasingly embroiled in a boisterous Neapolitan family, particularly a young mother Nina (Dakota Johnson) and her three-year-old daughter Elena (Athena Martin). Watching the mother and daughter, Leda is reminded of her own struggles as a student and mother to her young daughters, Bianca (Robyn Elwell) and Marta (Ellie Blake), while Joe, also an academic, was mainly absent on work.