The loss of a loved one does many things to many people. Some turn quiet and introspective, some get angry and abusive, and some are broken by the experience and become self-destructive.

Daughter is the story of a man dealing with an immense personal loss and who happens to be one of these third types of people. Jim’s (John Cassini) life is in a spiral, a positive feedback loop of drinking and prostitutes and running away from his grief. He is estranged from his wife and friends and is barely present at his job, and all because he doesn’t have the courage or will to face his traumatic past.

That, my friends, is a hell of a setup for a movie. I wish the payoff were as good.

Continue reading “VIFF Review: ‘Daughter’ jumps headfirst into grief and self-destruction, but doesn’t quite stick the landing”