Krzysztof Mętrak used to write about films such as These Daughters of Mine that they are characterised by a ‘screen musicality.’ They inspire lots of empathy in the viewers and soak them up in an emotional whirlwind. Kinga Dębska's picture exemplifies cinema which brings solace even though it doesn't sweeten things, which confronts difficult subjects whilst at the same time avoiding grand statements and pompous gestures. One cannot dislike this movie – it is impossible to resist, for in this story about two sisters facing their parents' illness and dying, Kinga Dębska found a golden balance between comedy and drama, between bitterness and hope.
Marta (Agata Kulesza) is an actor in a popular telenovela. Divorced, she is a single mother of an almost adult daughter; she can't handle men, but on the other hand, she is down-to-earth. Her sister, Kasia (Gabriela Muskała) is completely different – she works as a teacher and drowns her everyday stress in alcohol. She has a permanently unemployed husband (Marcin Dorociński), an adolescent son, and financial problems, which she solves with the help of her father (Marian Dziędziel). The former is slightly coarse, but strong, while the other – caring and helpless. They love and hate each other at the same time, they can't stand yet can't do without each other. The relationship between the two sisters becomes even more complicated when their parents fall sick.
In These Daughters of Mine, Dębska revisits events from her own life and tells the story of her own parents' disease. We will not, however, stumble upon any exhibitionist tones or emotional blackmail. Dębska translates her story into a language of unpretentious tragicomedy in which there is no room for false notes.
Her film brings to mind Małgorzata Szumowska's 33 Scenes from Life, another story about the death of loved ones. But These Daughters of Mine is much more heart-warming than Szumowska's picture. While the latter painfully dissected her own life with cold blood and rough treatment, Kinga Dębska is more compassionate towards her protagonists. She talks about a family in which not everything is fine, and people are imperfect, but she does not judge them even for a moment.
Dębska's exceptional tenderness in portrayal of her characters is paired here with the directing and acting precision. It is impossible to write about These Daughters of Mine without mentioning the performances that shape this film. Let us begin with Gabriela Muskała – neurotic and gloriously helpless. Muskała, who seems to be made for this role, simultaneously irritates, entertains, and endears. She and Agata Kulesza, who once again shows off her talent, complement one another superbly. Kulesza does not try to suck up to the viewer, she doesn't shine or charge, but, scene after scene, she constructs a character filled with doubts, intrinsically coherent, but nevertheless complex. Her precision and dexterity impress.