By Dan Skip Allen

This summer, there was a controversial thing that happened at the Venice Film Festival. “The Voice of Hind of Rajab” was considered the favorite to win the Golden Lion Award, which is the best film at the festival and a key award during the fall festival season. Instead, the Jim Jarmusch film “Father Mother Sister Brother” won instead. Rumors were the head of the selection committee. Alexander Payne had a problem with the filmmakers behind “The Voice of Hind Rajab”. There was a political thought process regarding this decision. That being said, this movie was well deserving of winning that award because it’s an excellent film from an auteur director. 

“Father Mother Sister Brother” is an anthology film with a triptych structure specifically. As the title says, each of the three chapters deals with one or more of the title characters. The first story deals with the “Father” figure. Tom Waits plays the “Father”, and he gets a visit from his son, Jeff, and daughter, “Emily,” at his secluded country house in New Jersey. Adam Driver and Mayim Bialik play his adult children, and they are concerned about him and his welfare. This house is adjacent to a lake and in the house sets a rotating rocking chair that looks out on the lake. They all have a turn sitting in the chair while their talk goes on, and they continue to walk on eggshells as well. 

The second story involves Charlotte Rampling waiting for her two daughters, Lilith and Timothea, played by Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps, who are coming over for their annual tea lunch with their famous author mother in Ireland. Rampling is a serious woman, and her daughters are very soft-spoken around her. They have their own issues, and at this tea lunch, they come to the forefront.  Both of the sisters are a bit different from each other, but they are definitely different from their confident mother. It’s an interesting dynamic at the tea. Both daughters have their own personalities, but it’s obvious one of them has issues with their strong mother.

The third storyline involves a brother and sister Billy (Luka Sabbat) and Skye (Indya Moore) who are in France. They are reuniting after a while away from each other at their parents’ apartment. They discuss their mother and father as if they had secret lives who have lived many places and have had multiple identities. Billy presents photos and information from a manilla envelope that shows their multiple lives they’ve lived. These are the two actors in the film, I know the least, but they were a revelation for me because of their relationship within the context of the film. I felt they gave off very convincing vibes of a brother and sister who are close to each other because of their parents’ untimely demise.

Between the three stories, you wouldn’t think they’d have any connections, but they do. There are three things that have connected these unique intimate stories. First, there are skateboarders in all of the stories going down the various streets in each of the places where the stories take place. The second thing is that in each story, there are some characters that possess a Rolex watch. And the third thing in each of the stories is that a character says the phrase “Bob’s You’re Uncle,” which is a funny moment each time it’s said in the context of the various stories. That being said, these stories are completely different from each other on a deeper level. Which is what Jim Jarmusch is going for.

Jarmusch is a director who has done different kinds of films in his career. From the bus driver going through his daily life in Paterson to a small intake vampire tale in Only Lovers Left Alive to a Black and White Western in Dead Man. His movies have run the gambit of genres and themes. Now, he has made an  anthology film, which is another different genre he has made in his career. This time around, he shows the family dynamic in three different ways. I myself can relate to the first of the three stories because I had a father who I was somewhat estranged with who had a secret life I didn’t completely know about. My father passed very recently, and he was a lot like the Waits character in this first part of the anthology. This was my favorite of the three storylines.

“Father Mother Sister Brother” is a profound film in many ways. I’ll choose to let the audience as a whole decide that on their own, though. How and why is it so profound. The first of the three arcs was my favorite because of how relatable it was to me. As a whole, though, the acting was a little wooden, which was weird considering all of the great actors in this picture. The third arc had two very good performances from unknowns to me. The technical aspects of the stories were phenomenal, though. From the cinematography, which was breathtakingly beautiful throughout the movie to the production design of the various locations, the stories took place. The look of the film was an absolute standout of this movie. There was so much about this movie I absolutely loved. Hopefully, other viewers will feel the same as I did. And that Golden Lion win in Venice last year was very deserving to me.

4 ½ stars