His Three Daughters
Introduction
In an early scene in the new Netflix film His Three Daughters, you sense a bit of friction amongst the characters even as the camera deftly switches POVs. So you have the character of Katie (Carrie Coon) talking rather sternly about how Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) should stick together with the family given the calamity of health that has been imposed on them with respect to their ailing father. And even as Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) briefly interrupts the conversation by seemingly cutting down the levels of escalating tension, the opening sequence has all the lines drawn of the interpersonal relationships between the three sisters (with Rachel being the odd one out because she is the sole step-sister), even as their plea for DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) is not met with respect to their ailing father.
Old age has got to be the biggest curse of sorts wherein you see yourself deteriorating bit by bit until you proceed towards your ultimate destination of death. But it is also people around you who die a million times everyday, not necessarily because they don’t wish to take care of you, but instead being in denial initially while being forced to anticipate the inevitable. And that is a hard feeling. I still remember my last days with my grandma wherein she wasn’t doing well and we all knew somewhere deep down that the end was near – just the exact time and place was oblivious to us, forcing us to be in a state of grieving (and secretly hoping for a miracle of her recovering somehow) before her ultimate departure. This experience is quite difficult to put in words given how layered it is, wherein people don’t shy away from their responsibilities but still continue to die bit by bit each day while being witness to their loved ones dying. But this is where the English film His Three Daughters is different – it adds an additional layer of the bittersweet interpersonal relationships between the three sisters against the backdrop of a tragedy waiting to unfold.
Story & Screenplay
The premise of His Three Daughters is quite claustrophobic. And much of the same has got to do with the tiny apartment that houses the three sisters who find themselves together for the first time while having to take turns for taking care of their ailing father. So, the setup of the house is a silent but important character in the overall scheme of things, also because it is Rachel who would be acquiring the property after her father’s death. A little probe into the characters reveals how Rachel, the step sister of Christina and Katie has been staying with her father and taking care of him even before his ailment, even as the duo have been busy with their individual lives featuring their own families. As a result, you see Katie imposing her rights by indirectly blaming Rachel for the state of her father, given her love for smoking joints. As a result, Rachel being asked to step outside to smoke is bit of a dichotomy for her – a sort of an escapism from her reality while having to bear the burden of the state that her father finds himself in, wherein lots of her guilt remains unsaid. And it is this complex nature of the screenplay standing at a shade above 100 minutes that taps into deft emotions and character dynamics beautifully.
One of the strongest aspects of the writing will have to be the characterization. And one of the reasons why it is special is because the characters aren’t necessarily on opposite sides of the spectrum, but instead occupying overlapping spaces with each other which is unknown to them. So all three of the protagonists find themselves in the same situation, having to take care of their ailing father while taking turns. Yet, it is their past and the complexities that they had, that continues to haunt their present. For instance, it might be a stream of guilt which would be troubling Katie given that she couldn’t spend time with her father even before his ailment, something that comes across in the form of anger towards Rachel who was always with her father. It is Christina who is slightly subdued of the three while often doing the balancing act but often tilting her loyalties towards her blood relation, Katie. Yet, her approach is starkly positive of accepting her reality with the way things stand, while trying to work around it. Rachel is the one who suddenly becomes aloof almost preferring to be a loner by restricting herself to her room, or silently opting to smoke a joint while carrying an invisible mountain of pain within her.
The proceedings are designed to be relatable even as characters continue to brew conversations that have different shades to them. Yet, the drama utilizes some of the other characters as catalysts to break the circuit of tension even though it is momentarily at times. So in a scene, you see Benji, Rachel’s boyfriend confronting Katie on her attitude towards Rachel, something that she had been in denial while not quite wanting to address the elephant in the room. Another character Angel is used as a catalyst to allow the three protagonists to stick together in testing times even while providing a right balance between an idealistic approach and a practical one.
The events in the drama have an organic flow to it where one thing leads to another while the characters slowly come to terms with their reality and begin to warm up to each other. The transition is not sudden but instead subtle, wherein the unsaid ask of the father would be to spend his final days with his immediate family around him. But within this space too, the writers aren’t shy of switching POVs again, this time with respect to the character of the father, whose pain you are privy to right throughout the drama but you only get a glimpse of him in the final act. You do get a little information on his love for the city and a regret deep down within him that he does reveal to the world but is it too late already? Often we see people having regrets with the way they have lead lives, and seldom about the money that they have earned, something that the drama deftly touches upon. The drama ends on a rather poignant and bittersweet note while tapping into a really melancholic thread of a famous nursery rhyme, thereby summing up the screenplay that is simply brillant while being layered and heartfelt with its emotions in many ways.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational in nature and often the lines indulge you in the brewing conversations by invariably making you a silent spectator. As a result, you are a fly on the wall while the characters exchange a plethora of said and unsaid emotions through the wonderfully penned dialogues. The BGM is sparingly used, never with the intention of manipulating the emotions of the viewers while focusing on extended periods of silence that helps to imbibe the gloomy atmospherics of the drama. The cinematography comprises of frames that does give you a perspective with respect to the cramped up space around the characters, that is also symbolic of their mindset in testing times. As a result, you do get a feeling of claustrophobia in an otherwise intimate space that plays such a crucial role with regard to its staging. The editing is crisp and sharp while never prolonging a scene which wpuld have simply added crucial minutes to the proceedings. It ensures that the drama remains taut throughout its runtime. Director Azazel Jacobs seemingly understands the world that the drama is set in along with having an unwavering focus on complex emotions and interpersonal relationships between characters that ultimately fuels the narrative ahead. He expertly stages scenes without trying to manipulate the emotions that helps the drama to be supremely grounded. The direction is excellent here on all accounts.
Performances
The performances are excellent by the ensemble cast. Rudy Galvan as Angel and Jovan Adepo as Benji are excellent with the kind of emotions that they represent, and they manage to really impress in their respective scenes. Jay O. Sanders as Vincent delivers a rather heartfelt speech at the end with heavy undertones of the emotions being bittersweet, wherein he does a stupendous job. Carrie Coon as Katie is simply exceptional in a character that seemingly carries a lot of unsaid guilt yet comes across as someone who is stern and short-tempered. Yet, she manages to keep her character grounded while emoting just wonderfully well, and tapping into a grey space that makes for an incredible act. Elizabeth Olsen as Christina is incredibly good as well in a character who is pretty much balanced in life. And hence, the approach to her character is that of being well measured, something that results in a brilliant act. Natasha Lyonne as Rachel is a character that is content with being aloof while riddling her heart with mountains of pain that she internalizes wonderfully well. This was a complex character with complex emotions to essay, mostly conflicted to the point of being unexpressive, and she delivers a towering performance which is so dignified in every which way. She is simply excellent in the drama here.
Conclusion
His Three Daughters is a subtly moving bittersweet tale of loss packaged in an absorbing drama on complex relationships that is so beautifully layered that it ends up being a brilliant watch. Available on Netflix and Highly Highly Recommended!