WRITER & DIRECTOR
Jim Jarmusch
Only Lovers Left Alive, Paterson, Broken Flowers, Dead Man, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, The Dead Don’t Die, Coffee and Cigarettes, Down by Law, Night on Earth

STARS
Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Indya Moore and Luka Sabbat

The three separate stories told in anthology film Father Mother Sister Brother are connected through each one depicting some form of estranged family relationships yet otherwise don’t possess any other worthwhile commonalities and therefore it feels more appropriate to review this exactly as it is experienced – as three individual short films attempting to be attached as a whole. 

The triptych begins with ‘Father’. Somewhere in the northeast of the United States, a somewhat isolated father (Tom Waits) who is seemingly struggling to make all ends meet prepares for the imminent arrival of his son, Jeff (Adam Driver) and daughter, Emily (Mayim Bialik). Jeff has a softer heart towards his father than his sister does and doesn’t hesitate to financially support him. During their irrefutably awkward visit, Emily makes certain observations that provoke the siblings to question their father’s authenticity.

‘Father’ satisfies despite being the first of all three stories to be underwritten. The intermittent dialogue, spoken as if to overshadow the even more awkward silence deafening father’s living room, is almost entirely mundane in nature, which is totally understandable given their strained relationship and the time that has passed since Jeff and Emily last saw their father. However, the sparse dialogue that is present doesn’t develop anything that might be underpinning their personal distances. At least this story boasts some subtle comedy in reading between the lines and during its finale that make the first third of the film worthwhile enough.

The art of the awkward continues and relocates to Dublin, Ireland, in ‘Mother’. This time, the titular character is played by Charlotte Rampling, and though this parent does not live remotely, nor in any way impoverished, what she does share in common with Tom Waits’ ‘father’ is being alone, and perhaps lonely, while awaiting the imminent arrival of her two adult children, Timothea (Cate Blanchett) and Lilith (Vicky Krieps). Once more, all awkward banter restricts itself to the mundanities of life, albeit this time over a delectable looking afternoon tea I started to crave!

Considering the all-star cast present to date, and especially in this story, it comes a surprise and great disappointment that this is where the underlying tedium of the previous story arrives at the core of this anthology film. As does its complete lack of creativity in writing and broader vision in directing. It is here we witness lousy and meaningless attempts at further connecting the stories by incorporating certain possessions, expressions and activities. Furthermore, the A+ cast in ‘Mother’ deserved so much more than the heavily under-developed characterisation and writing they’ve been handed to perform that exposes the shortcomings of the film. The subtlety of the previous story, while present by this time outlining the different status of class and etiquette coming from Lilith and by observing Timothea’s inner concerns, drops away considerably here.

The third and final story is ‘Brother and Sister’. This story thankfully presents an entirely different set-up and for that reason, is an anomaly in the directing department that this is not the middle short movie. Though it arguably possesses the capability to connect with audiences the best of the three separate stories, by now, my investment in the picture had already headed for the exit and it therefore could not cure the tedium that well and truly set in. In Paris, Skye and Billy (Indya Moore and Luka Sabbat) are close-knit siblings who pay a visit to an unoccupied home of sentimental significance to them. Skye and Billy are the most ‘alive’ characters of all present in the anthology film and their closeness to one another is a welcome change in dynamic but as is the case throughout more than half of this dull experience, these characters also meander to a futile finish.

Father Mother Sister Brother is showing in selected cinemas across Australia from April 2nd, 2026.

Moviedoc thanks Madman for the invitation to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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