"IN HER NAME" // TRIBECA 2022

BY MATEO MORENO

Freya (Erin Hammond), an artist trying to still find her footing in the world, has put aside her life in order to take care of her father Marv (Philippe Caland), also an artist and quite a famous one. He's now terminally-ill and spending the last days of his life living anyway he wants to. Marv's other daughter Fiona (Ciera Danielle) has shown up to help but finds herself at odds with both her sister and her father, as she struggles to try and show how she cares but explain why her sudden appearance doesn't have any ulterior motives (it does). Freya is much more like her father, a freewheeling spirit, while Fiona is more tense and practical. Both however share the same journey: they're both losing their father and have to come to grips with it as well as deal with all of the artist types that have flocked around him during these last days.

IN HER NAME, shot beautifully in black and white, treads familiar territory, with the ailing father and family coming to terms with their relationship over death's door. And it flows at a very deliberately slow pace, taking time to spend with its characters. The pacing is sometimes a perfect pace, other times you just want something else to happen. Yet, the winning actors keep you engaged throughout. Erin Hammond and Ciera Danielle are the true standouts here, with a perfect sibling rivalry chemistry and polar opposite personalities. Hammond's performance is heartbreaking, as she has given up so much for her father, yet has never gained his approval. Danielle's "trying to be perfect" persona that is clearly masking a lot of unhappiness is perfect and even if it's no surprise that the two find common ground eventually, it's still sweet just the same. Their relationship feels real, strained but loving all under the eyes of their selfish artist father, played with a cold and warm spike of energy by Philippe Caland. He's great as well, self-serving and manipulative, and his strong performance makes the three leads all standouts. While not all of the films smaller moments work, the family dynamic is so strong that it makes an engaging and bittersweet journey through one of the toughest times a family can face.

GRADE: B

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Sarah Carter STARRING Erin Hammond, Ciera Danielle, Philippe Caland, Nyambi Nyambi, James Oliver, Shivarasa SELECTED AS PART OF THE 2022 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL. FOR MORE INFO: IN HER NAME