Father Mother Sister Brother review: Too slow and understated
When I saw Jim Jarmusch‘s latest, Father Mother Sister Brother, at the London Film Festival last year, I could not believe that it won the Golden Lion at Venice. This?! How?! Why?! I did not understand.
This comedy-drama is a triptych of family reunions. The first, set in America, follows siblings Jeff (Adam Driver) and Emily (Mayim Bialik) stopping by to check in on their reclusive father (Tom Waits). In the second, set in Dublin, Timothea and Lilith (Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps) visit their mother (Charlotte Rampling) for their yearly reunion over tea. And the film concludes with siblings Skye (Indya Moore) and Billy (Luka Sabbat) visiting their old apartment in Paris to say goodbye following the death of their parents.
Father Mother Sister Brother is minimalist, subtle, slow and understated. There are some interesting conversations, enjoyable pieces of dialogue and intriguing character dynamics, but I was never fully invested in any of the stories. They are so low-key and gentle that I couldn’t get into them or warm to any of the characters, and felt kept at a distance rather than being brought into their world.
I actually quite liked the first story – it was interesting, Waits was amusing, and there was a strange humour to the awkward attempts at connection and conversation. But the second chapter was a real test of concentration, and I felt quite bored. The third one was actually quite sad and beautiful, but I couldn’t fully appreciate it after having my mind numbed by its dull predecessor.
This was my least favourite film at LFF. There are some redeeming moments, but it is overall far too quiet and mellow for me.
In cinemas from Friday 10th April