SCAD Savannah Film Festival wraps up with some of the most anticipated films of the season, including The Lost Daughter, Spencer, Cyrano, and King Richard.
“I don’t know if you’ll like my film,” said Maggie Gyllenhaal before presenting her directorial debut The Lost Daughter to a very patient audience at the Trustees Theater on Thursday night (the film had a nearly 30-minute late start). “But I like it.”
In her acceptance speech for the Rising Star Director Award, Gyllenhaal cited Jane Campion’s The Piano as a film that really got women and how that’s what she strives for with her film. From the rumblings around the festival, The Lost Daughter plays well with women, but not with men, which is very interesting. As Leda, Olivia Colman gives a conflicted and beautiful performance as a woman on vacation in Greece whose fixation on a young mother (Dakota Johnson) allows her to look back at her own choices. Given Gyllenhaal’s comfortability in the director’s chair, it’s shocking to think that this is only her first film. Equally as good is Jessie Buckley, who plays a younger version of Leda. Colman and Buckley work hand in hand in crafting a fully realized and flawed character that you care about.
On the red carpet, Gyllenhaal talked about how her career as an actor helped her in becoming a director.
“One interesting thing about being an actress is that I’ve worked with many, many directors and I’m able to think back on the things that really worked for me. It’s so vulnerable. It’s not easy. I think about directors who were brutal and the kind of work it got out of me. And I think about directors who were interested in me as a collaborator, as an artist, as a person, and really more than anything, who loved me. There’s no question that my best work is with the second kind.”
The Lost Daughter was among the many highly anticipated films that screened in the latter half of the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, with other ones including Spencer, Cyrano, Jockey, and King Richard.
Spencer
Spencer completely hinges on Kristen Stewart’s performance, and she certainly delivers, losing herself in the role while also capitalizing on her strengths (the nervous Stewart twitches, like folding her wrists nervously, are perfect for portraying the Princess of Wales).
While there’s obviously a story arc for Diana in this film, what might be the more interesting one comes from Stewart herself, who went from child actress to Twilight guilty pleasure to Robert Pattinson’s ex to proving her worth as an actress (see: Personal Shopper, Seberg). This narrative was evident with the reception. When her name appeared on screen during the credits, the crowd roared. Maybe Pablo Larrain’s Spencer is not the most fully realized film (at times it feels like Diana cosplay), but it certifies Kristen Stewart as a formidable actress, which most audiences have known for years, but the Academy may be still catching up on. It’s easy to watch this film and forget that you’re watching Kristen Stewart.
