Edie Falco of “The Sopranos” fame gets another taste of suburban angst in the most interesting of the trilogy of Long Island tales in Eric Mendelsohn’s “3 Backyards,” his first film since the fondly remembered “Judy Berlin” from 1999.
Wearing her hair even shorter than on “Nurse Jackie,” Falco plays a yenta who unsuccessfully tries to get a troubled actress (Embeth Davidtz) she’s driving to the Port Jefferson ferry to open up about her woes.
Elsewhere in the same Long Island town, Elias Koteas is wandering around pondering his marital and financial problems.
The third tale deals with a 10-year-old girl (Rachel Resheff) who becomes distraught after losing a bracelet intended as her mom’s birthday present.
“3 Backyards” is well-acted and acutely observed, the sort of cerebral fare you can more typically find on HBO than in theaters these days.