His Three Daughters Review
His Three Daughters (2023) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Azazel Jacobs and starring Elizabeth Olsen, Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, Jay O. Sanders, Jovan Adepo, Rudy Galvan, Jose Febus, Randy Ramos Jr. and Jasmine Bracey.
Azazel Jacobs’ thoughtful and intelligent new movie, His Three Daughters, is a dramatic performer’s paradise. This picture presents some monologues, some conversations and a lot of heavy drama sprinkled in large quantities throughout the film. It’s a fascinating new Netflix movie that stars three great actresses at the top of their game – Elizabeth OIsen, Carrie Coon and Natasha Lyonne. Although it feels unfair to single one out given the potency of these actress’s work, it is clearly comeback Queen Lyonne who has emerged as a front runner for an Academy Award nomination for her role in this movie.
His Three Daughters is a film that is aware that families usually come together most effectively during times of tragedy. The film focuses on three sisters named Katie (Coon), Christina (Olsen) and Rachel (Lyonne). It seems their dad is not doing so well and is heading towards the end of his journey through life. Many times in the movie when characters ask how the father is doing, another character responds that he’s “hanging on.” Though there are a few characters besides the three leading actresses, this is mostly a single-setting picture that rests on the quality of the performances by the leads.
Carrie Coon’s character, Katie, struggles to write an obituary for her father. How do you sum up a life effectively and as Rachel suggests, will people really care enough to read the obituary? Rachel is funny. She knows the point spread in sports games and has recently spent the most time with her dad, Vincent (the great Jay O.Sanders) out of the three sisters. Christina is struggling with a few family issues herself and tries to stay physically fit even under the tragic circumstances that surround her.
This film has a scene with a friend of Rachel’s named Benji (Jovan Adepo) confronting Katie and Christina with their flawed way of looking at the situation around them. Katie tells Benji it’s nice to meet him but, according to Benji, they’ve already met. She just doesn’t remember. Benji tries to set the record straight but it’s hard in this family to do so. Rudy Galvan plays another pivotal character here who talks a lot about Vincent’s unfortunate predicament to the ladies. Both Adepo and Galvan offer stellar support in their otherwise minor roles throughout this slow-moving picture.
Rachel smokes like a chimney. Even one of her apartment’s security guards has to come out to remind her that she shouldn’t be smoking in public. Rachel is a basket case. She feels like the black sheep but she has a lot of emotions underneath her hard exterior. Lyonne triumphs in terms of the way she creates this character and develops her emotions. This is a piece of acting that deserves to be rewarded come Oscar nomination time. Lyonne almost literally throws herself into the role with every ounce of integrity she has and the audience will enjoy her work immensely.
Olsen and Coon’s best work comes in the way they listen and allow as actresses during a speech that their dad gives towards the film’s ending. Since the father is on a machine that keeps him alive, the audience will know there’s more than meets the eye with this dialogue that Sanders delivers towards the conclusion. As the dad talks about a final encounter with a woman he once knew, we feel all the father’s pains and passions in brief moments of clarity. Sanders delivers a fearless performance and the actor goes for broke in, perhaps, his best role to date. He’s surely worthy of an Oscar nod, himself, even though his screen time is extremely brief.
This movie especially loves its setting, New York City, and its characters have a certain fondness for the city as well. There are references here to Queens and Brooklyn that seem authentic to anyone who has bounced around the five boroughs. Mostly the whole movie is set around one apartment but it’s not as stagey as it could have been thanks to the heartfelt work of all the performers involved.
Olsen surprises in terms of her range in this particular role. While she’s got the character’s mannerisms down to a science, Coon also brings a wide range of emotions to her character as well. Lyonne is in another category altogether. She soars beyond perfection with her on-screen mannerisms and makes this character a true original creation that is recognizable as someone who could be real. We feel sympathy for all three of the lead characters thanks to the complexity of the performances by the actresses who play them.
His Three Daughters is an actor’s movie. It’s a small film but a very effective one despite the fact that it is leisurely paced at times. It makes you think about the times families truly must come together as one in times of tragedy. This movie speaks volumes about the bond between siblings. Lyonne’s name is one of the year’s first to be certain to be found on year-end actress accolades lists while her co-stars are also brave for taking this material and running with it in such a way that they triumph beyond a reasonable doubt. Jacobs has fashioned a moving drama that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. This is a very good film that must be seen for its performances alone.
Rating: 8.5/10
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