‘Herself’ is a Touching Testament to Motherhood

English director Phyllidia Lloyd has long been known for her ambitious works which focus on women, and for her practice of bringing in female collaborators to help her. From the all-female crews that helped run her opera productions in the ‘90s to the female producer, writer, and stars that lent their talents to her 2008 feature film debut “Mamma Mia,” Lloyd’s best work is often buoyed and characterized by strong women.

In her latest directorial project, “Herself,” Lloyd presents a heart-wrenching tribute to relationships between women with intimate flair and candid performances. Lloyd highlights how strong female relationships are at the foundation of any woman’s struggle for success.

With a screenplay written by Malcolm Campbell and Irish actress Clare Dunne, the film follows Sandra (also played by Dunne), a young mother who fights to escape from an abusive relationship, along with her two younger daughters Emma (Ruby Rose O’Hara) and Molly (Molly McCann). Limited by Dublin’s broken housing system, Sandra sets off to build a house by herself while being effectively homeless, working multiple jobs, and being a full-time mother. Her big break comes when one of her employers, Dr. Peggy O’Toole (Harriet Walter), offers to grant her a plot of land in her garden and a loan for building supplies — allowing Sandra to begin what promises to be her final struggle before attaining freedom from her abusive ex, Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson). Critically, she does so surrounded and aided by several female figures including a co-worker and a fellow mom from her daughters’ school.

At its core, the drama is a powerful exploration of the relationships that shape motherhood. Throughout "Herself," Sandra is driven by the love for her daughters and her desperation to give them a better life. While Dunne’s performance is moving throughout, it is O’Hara and McCann that provide a soft heart and playfulness to the film’s otherwise serious premise. While Sandra faces severe abuse from Gary, a fate only amplified by her financial instability, her daughters dependably bring the story back to its heart: the bond between a mother and her children. When things are going particularly badly for Sandra — whether it be run-ins with her ex or a social worker — Emma and Molly’s innocent questions about life and optimism about their future break up the drama with tender, heartwarming moments.

Lloyd’s directorial talent shines brightest when the film reverts to its powerful themes of motherhood and womanhood. Lloyd's prior experiences as a theater director — where the story is rooted in acting and staging — are evident in the honest performances she gets from her actors. When Sandra finds herself at risk of losing her daughters in court, she shares an intimately heartbreaking moment with Peggy in the courtroom bathroom. The two actresses lean on their theater experience to take the tiny space and fill it with emotion, a feat no doubt facilitated by Lloyd’s directorial expertise.

Lloyd’s theater background is also evident in her use of music. At the film’s opening, Sia’s “Chandelier” provides the perfect (if ironic) anthem of freedom for the trapped Sandra as she and her daughters dance to it in the kitchen moments before Gary attacks. And by the end, Lloyd plays “Mother” by Irish singer-songwriter LYRA — itself an unabashed tribute to motherhood as LYRA sings of rising above with her mother’s guidance.

Crucially, as is important in any film about abuse, “Herself” refuses to gloss over its dark reality. Neither Lloyd nor the film’s screenwriters fall into the dangerous trap of romanticizing abuse or the abuser. Lloyd instead chooses to highlight Sandra and her experiences, depicting her trauma through restless flashbacks.

Despite what the film’s title may lead one to believe, Sandra is many things, but rarely is she ever by "Herself." The relationships that Lloyd, Campbell, and Dunne spend so much time crafting demonstrates that magnificently, whether it is Sandra's daughters, or Peggy, there is a community that comes out to rally behind her.

— Staff writer Sofia Andrade can be reached at sofia.andrade@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter at @SofiaAndrade__.