Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring Oliva Coleman, Dakota Johnson, Ed Harris,
I am a fan of Maggie Gyllenhaal, I think she is a very good actress. Upon hearing that this film was directed and written by her I was interested in seeing the film.
The story is based on a book with the same name. It is about a woman who goes on vacation in Greece. There she meets a family and befriends Nina. Nina reminds her about her life and she struggles with her past. She becomes obsessed with the young mother and her daughter, that as we see through the film, resembles her daughters.
This is a character study kind of film. It has a story that is centered on one character, at least that is how I saw it. Even though she interacts with other characters, it is all about how she reacts to it. As a character, is a hard character to sympathize with as we learn of her past, but still, the film is well-written and directed. It is a bit slow but that is the nature of this kind of film, it does not mean it’s a bad movie. I think it is for those who like drama and don’t mind having a story without many plot twists, just a story about characters.
For a film like this, you need a good actor. Academy Award Winner Olivia Coleman is just that. She gives a great performance, this was a not likable character and she nailed it. Dakota Fanning was also good as Nina and the subject of Leda’s fixation. Ed Harris has a small role but he is good, great to see him again I have not seen him for a while in a movie.
It is a good debut for Maggie. Nominated for a few Golden Globes, the movie is an interesting film, it is slow, so see it if you like drama pictures.
World of Entertainment 