Thehibikiew
Not even bad in a good way
Mischa Redfern
I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.
Sameeha Pugh
It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film
Matho
The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
popnruss
There are spoilers in this review. The Daughter is an exceptionally well done film.The acting talents of Ewen Leslie, Odessa Young, and Sam Neiill are phenomenal. They bring to each of their characters believability, honesty, and vulnerability. Miss Young's last scene with the duck she has been caring for is the most touching. Sam Neill is incredible as the grandfather who truly loves his granddaughter. Ewen Leslie is tremendous as the betrayed husband who has done a great job raising the daughter he learns is not his. Paul Schneider does an excellent job convincing the audience that he is a broken man who has nothing else to lose but to tell his good friend the truth about his friend's wife and daughter. Geoffrey Rush is always good. I really enjoyed this film. Most of the films produced in Australia are very good.
adam-703-808689
This viewer did not believe a single character in this, not their jobs, their social status, their relationship to each other, their clunkily exposed past, the town/country they lived in...it's all highly manufactured, self-conscious drama for drama's sake with everyone concerned striving for tragedy or meaning, but looking faker and faker as one pretentious scene follows another. None of the personnel involved escape the curse of this contrived world from the very first scene.
Fiurilli
'The Daughter' written and directed by Simon Stone is the big screen adaptation of a screenplay from the late nineteenth century. In this film we follow a character Christian who returns to his hometown only to discover an old family secret that can ruin the lives of those involved should this news come to light.This movie features many different subplots that slowly unfold while the bigger overarching story is taking place. These subplots are mostly meant to give the many characters some much needed backstory. One problem with them however is that most of them do not seem to develop in an organic way and appear forced. Another problem is that more often than not the outcome is extremely predictable. As soon as a situation is set up it is almost always clear how it will end and quite a few times characters would act out of character just to make this ending possible. The same is true for the main plot considering one of the main characters only exists to set up certain story elements. This character never has a concrete reason for most of his actions while a lot of times his behavior does has a very emotional impact on some of the other characters. Just like the many subplots the main story is as predictable as can be. There is never really a moment where you're left wondering what is about to happen and what is left is a movie that is slowly progressing towards its end. Over the course of the film a heavy emphasis is put on the characters. Most of the actors did a decent enough job to portray their character however the performance of Paul Schneider as Christian was simply abysmal. His performances never seemed genuine and whenever he appeared on the screen I was immediately taken out of the movie. This in turn made the performances of the other actors seem a lot worse than they actually were and ultimately there really is not a single performance that can be considered memorable. The directional style of Simon Stone also leaves much to be desired. There are some incredibly weird cuts during conversation and a lot of times the camera is focused on characters with their mouths closed while their voice can be hear from a shot that is about to follow. Now Stone did not fail completely as there are some gorgeous shots present in this film. These shots are mostly environmental ones and even though they are quite beautiful they almost always feel out place. The movies soundtrack also does not seem to fit the movie very well and a lot of times it appears to be forcing a certain emotion way to obviously. The basic premise of the film could have provided some interesting scenario's however the convoluted story, terrible soundtrack and poor writing have made this an impossible feat. In the end 'The Daughter' was a complete waste of time with few redeeming qualities. My rating: 4/10
Tom Dooley
Henry (Geoffrey Rush) is the master in a town where his logging company is the main attraction. His wife has passed away long ago and so he decides to remarry. This coincides with his decision to close the logging factory due to falling sales. The town is imploding but he wants to pull out all these stops for his wedding day.His estranged son, Christian, has also returned from America and immediately reconnects with old friends and this includes Oliver and his wife and daughter. He has long born a grudge with his father and as old tensions resurface so do nagging questions from the past. It is the answer to those questions that are the setting for the calamity of the future and a delve into the darkness that the past can often hold.This is a smouldering watch, all the performances are brilliant especially Odessa Young as Hedwig and Ewen Leslie as Oliver. We also have a fine performance from Rush and the ever reliable Sam Neil – both acting royalty in Australia. It keeps the tempo up almost from the start and is a credit to Screen Australia for investing in such a commendable piece of cinema.