Welcome to the first new release review of the year! As many of us have just spent the holidays or the new year with our family members, the subject matter of this one should resonate well.

This Jim Jarmusch movie is the first new release that I watched this year. His films have a unique indie vibe, characterized by simple storytelling, low-budget sensibility, and a deliberate pace. Father Mother Sister Brother is a triptych of three different families where long-separated siblings come together after many years.

Divided into three parts, the story revolves around a father, a mother, and a set of twins. First up is the father (Tom Waits), whose son Jeff (Adam Driver) and daughter Emily (Mayim Bialik) come to see him at his rundown lakeside home in upstate New York. It’s obvious that the kids haven’t been around for a while, as there’s such an amusing awkwardness in their interactions. The siblings check in on their dad, asking if he’s doing okay health-wise and if there have been any ‘episodes’ since their mother’s funeral. The movie doesn’t go into specifics about the episode, but we can only guess that it was something dire or frightful.

The genre-blending musician Waits, known for his distinctive husky voice, delivers some great comedic moments here. The axe scene alone is freakishly hilarious. His character seems a bit disheveled and lost when his kids are present, but he magically turns into a sharp-dressed gentleman in a suit the moment he’s alone in the house. The casting is perfect, as the three actors convincingly look like they could be related.

The second part centers around a mother (Charlotte Rampling) who’s throwing her annual afternoon tea for her two daughters: polished, nerdy-type Timothea (Cate Blanchett) and creative, pink-haired Lilith (Vicky Krieps), in her opulent Dublin home. Unlike Waits’ character, who appears to be struggling financially (at least in front of his kids), this mother is a successful best-selling author. However, her writing career never comes up in their conversation. The only time it’s referred to is when Timothea and Lilith sneak into a box filled with their mom’s books, but quickly hide them when she shows up.

Just like in the first part, it’s evident that their relationship is strained, and there’s a certain awkwardness in how they interact. Lilith is obviously fabricating tales about her job to look more accomplished than she actually is. Her mom and sister seem to be aware of it, but they decide to keep quiet. This phenomenal ensemble takes me out of the movie a bit. I was endlessly fascinated by this trifecta of incredible, award-winning actresses… I’d really love to see a sequel that focuses solely on this family.

The final tale features fraternal twins Skye (Indya Moore) and Billy (Luka Sabbat) navigating the aftermath of their recently deceased parents in Paris. I kept thinking that if they had included flashbacks of their parents, they should’ve cast Lenny Kravitz! It’s really fascinating to see the family dynamic unfold from the twins’ viewpoint as they visit their parents’ old apartment for the final time. Each segment has its own unique style and tone, with the last one giving off a rock’n’roll cool vibe. Given that Jarmusch is a musician, it’s no surprise that the music is fantastic, especially in the final part where the twins listen to old tapes while cruising around Paris.

In anthology films, there’s often one segment that doesn’t quite measure up to the rest. Personally, the second one is my favorite, mainly because of the female cast, but overall, it’s an entertaining film that might raise more questions than it answers. I’m not sure why he decided to link skateboarders, drinking water, the color red, and the phrase ‘Bob’s your uncle’ as the unifying thread among the three stories. The underlying mystery of the three stories concerns the true identity of the parents. It really makes you think about how much we actually know about our own moms and dads.

As with most of Jarmusch’s films, the leisurely pace might not be for everyone and some viewers might get annoyed by the lack of plot. But for me, I think Jarmusch really captures the reality that family dynamics can be awkward, sad, deceptive, and messy. He skillfully employs dry humor to emphasize the things unsaid and the lengths some of us would go to conceal the truth from our own families. As Driver’s character puts it, ‘we can choose our friends and lovers, but we can’t choose our family.’

Father Mother Sister Brother is currently playing in select theaters and
will be available to stream on MUBI.