Sister My Sister Review
Sort of a cross between a true-crime fable and a Merchant/Ivory costume drama, this BBC production builds a palpable sense of emotional carnage from the precisely choreographed interactions of just four main characters. It's to the credit of the quartet of actresses -- and to writer Wendy_Kesselman and first-time director Nancy_Meckler -- that the resulting character study proves so finely nuanced. The inimitable Julie_Walters is all curled lips, fine manners, and manipulation as the monied widow who treats her daughter as much like a chattel as she does her two maids. Sophie_Thursfield expertly plays the other half of that mother-daughter monstrosity; her puffy, pouty Isabelle dead-tired of life in the provinces, but just as titillated by the crisp mystery of their impoverished servants. Joely_Richardson gives a searing, tightly coiled performance as Christine, the older of the two maids. Proud of her humility and pining away for the affections of a long-ago convent caretaker, she can't conceive of any love that isn't all-consuming. Into this domestic tableau walks Jodhi_May's Lea, eager to please, but just as ready to come unhinged given the right set of pressures. As with many a "true story," Sister My Sister builds its own structure of meaning atop a constantly receding foundation of facts. It's beside the point whether this harrowing psychological study bears any relation to actual events; on its own merits, the film is full of disconcerting emotional truths. Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
Great Film Moments:
- In Theaters
- This Week
- Coming Soon
- New on DVD
Browse More Movies:
