His Three Daughters

Sitting in on a loved one's death watch can be a trying time in more ways than one can count, circumstances that many of us can probably relate to all too well. It can be an especially stressful, even hostile, experience when incompatible family members are brought together for such an ordeal, one whose duration and developments are impossible to predict. That's the scenario here faced by three very different (and often-contentious) sisters (Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne) who begrudgingly join together for the waning days of the life of their father (Jay O. Sanders), who has been placed in home hospice care. During this reluctant, duty-bound "reunion," tempers routinely flare in confrontations stemming from the rehashing of old, unresolved issues, disagreements about current responsibilities, and the seemingly endless waiting for the inevitable to arrive. These matters all wear on the distraught siblings as they struggle to sort out what's transpiring and try to arrive at better, more civil understandings of one another. In his latest feature outing, writer-director Azazel Jacobs has created an authentic story about what often occurs under such difficult conditions, astutely blending intense drama, scathing personal interactions, dark humor and hopes for reconciliation against a backdrop of edgy anguish, searing emotional pain and pervasive uncertainty. The picture's crisp writing and stellar performances (especially Lyonne's stand-out portrayal) drive the unfolding of this gripping domestic saga, often leaving viewers uncomfortably squirming in their seats as raw, long-repressed feelings surface. To be sure, some of the transition sequences in the narrative could use better refinement to get the overall story on track for what follows, but, then, their handling in this manner could arguably be chalked up to the ubiquitous doubt lingering over this situation, a determination that audience members will have to make for themselves. Still, "His Three Daughters" is indeed one of the better releases of 2024 thus far, one that deserves serious consideration as awards season approaches, particularly in the writing and acting categories. It's also a powerful cautionary tale for any of us who may be faced with having to undergo a scenario like this at some point, providing us with valuable insight into how we might want to conduct ourselves when these trying times arise.

I had no idea what His Three Daughters was about going into it and that's usually the way I like it. As someone who has had a parent go through the hospice care experience with two of my brothers I was pleasantly when I realized what the film was about. Some of that delight eventually faded away when I then realized that this film's depiction of hospice is not entirely accurate. Rather than an ignorance of hospice I'm guessing this misrepresentation was for dramatic effect. My issue is that I don't think the changes were necessary and things could have worked quite well with a true representation. Nevertheless the story as is mostly works. As for the performances they are mostly solid with Coon and Olsen both turning in excellent performances. As for Lyonne, she played a character a bit close to her type for me but was fine. The story does create a range of emotions for the viewer but is a rather somber experience throughout. Towards the end of the film the realism disappears as a bit of fantasy is interjected into the story which was completely unnecessary and almost derails the whole project. Despite this misstep His Three Daughters is worth checking out.

The film begins with Katie, portrayed by Carrie Coon, trying to convince her sister Rachel, played by Natasha Lyonne, that their father is dying and it's time to step up and take responsibility for him. Katie believes that what's happened in the past should stay in the past, and now they need to come together for their father in his final days. Their other sister, Christina, played by Elizabeth Olsen, is emotionally unraveling as she witnesses their father's deteriorating condition. After a heartfelt conversation, the sisters agree to put aside their differences and stay together by their father's deathbed, giving their dysfunctional family one more chance, for the sake of their father. This is the core premise of His Three Daughters.

Each of the three sisters has a distinct personality. Katie, seemingly the eldest, is constantly worried and often critical of Rachel, her adopted sister, particularly because of Rachel's struggles with addiction. On the other hand, Christina is the most caring and gentle, showing compassion to everyone around her. By now, you've probably guessed the tone of this film. It's a slow-paced drama that takes its time, with long scenes and lots of dialogue. Most of the movie happens inside one house, with just a few characters talking to each other. For a movie like this, the acting really needs to shine, or it can easily lose the audience's attention. Luckily, that's not an issue here. The cast does an amazing job, completely owning their roles and bringing real emotion to the screen. Each actor gets their character, and they stick to it, making sure the movie stays interesting even during the quieter moments.

I love dysfunctional family movies-they're my favorite genre. The last one I watched like this was Marriage Story, and I absolutely loved it. This movie, though, was just okay for me. It's not a masterpiece, but it's not bad either. It's a decent film that tells the story it wants to tell and does it well enough. But unlike Marriage Story, it's not something I'd call a favorite or feel the need to watch over and over again. But that's just me. This movie is getting a lot of praise worldwide, and people who love this kind of film are really into it. If you're not into slow-paced movies, you might find it a bit boring, but it's still worth giving a shot. Honestly, it's a great movie to watch on a cold, rainy night, snuggled up under a blanket. Definitely worth checking out.

This is more of a play than a film. It's talky and claustrophobic, to the point that when at last it moves to an outside scene, you almost feel like you're breathing in cold fresh air.

Interest is sustained throughout, not so much by way of events, as by the interactions of the three very different sisters, and the few peripheral characters that surround them. Dealing with the impending death of a parent, this will (maybe) touch a nerve with some, and give others more fortunate (maybe) an insight to the dynamics to be expected. But I did not find it at any time morose or Maudling or over emotional, the occasionally amusing scenes kept it in check.

My only criticism was near the end, where a 10 minutes or so scene, could/should have been omitted IMO. For me it just interrupted the flow and broke the rhythm of the previous hour+.

I really wish those making movies would consult medical personnel before making a movie. This movie is solid when it comes to family relations and how the stress of losing a loved one brings out the silent and unsaid. However, from a medical aspect, hospice patients sign a document stating what their wishes are when doing the paperwork with hospice. The hospice medical director signs off on it, so that made some scenes unnecessary. Also, there are no cardiac monitors, no IVs with hospice, and nurses do not come and sit at the bedside because time is money in healthcare. (We wish we could spend that time). Besides that, this movie reflects real life, it is entertaining, and does not include the standard forced Hollywood social indoctrination. So, thank you, for just entertaining the audience.