I learned of Olivia Colman when she played Queen Anne in "The Favorite" (and won an Oscar for the role). I later saw her on "Broadchurch", as well as seasons three and four of "The Crown". She also provided one of the voices in "The Mitchells vs. The Machines".
But now we have Ms. Colman in an intense role. She plays a woman on vacation in Greece whose stay is overshadowed by memories of the daughters whom she abandoned. "The Lost Daughter" both casts doubt on the supposed happiness of family life, and the presumed pleasantness of tourism, with the protagonist's mental state deteriorating as the movie progresses. Jessie Buckley as the protagonist's younger self is equally intense, almost as much as her character in "I'm Thinking of Ending Things".
Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut is a fine one. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece - and it certainly won't be for everyone - but it's not a movie that you're likely to forget any time soon. Both Colman and Buckley received Academy Award nominations for their roles, with excellent support coming from Ed Harris, Dakota Johnson, Dagmara Dominczyk (Karolina on "Succession"), Paul Mescal and Peter Sarsgaard.
