The movie wastes no time, immediately making an impression on us. The setting and music conveys a particular air, and the cast brings their characters to vivid life. 'Sister my sister' is foremost a portrait of the Papins, and their employer, and in that aim it excels.
The opening shot pans across the aftermath of a bloody crime, jolting in its visage, while the stirring strings of composer Stephen Warbeck evoke both pending drama and a certain nostalgia. The Danzard home, finely furnished, nonetheless feels empty in its occupation by only the mistress and her daughter, in a way echoing the spartan presentation of the feature that seems to pointedly eschew pretense. The picture relies wholly on the progression of the narrative and the depictions of its characters, without any hooks or twists to snag our attention beyond what it holds of its own merits.
Importantly, it's the characterizations and the performances of the cast that make 'Sister my sister' the compelling film that it is. Julie Walters is outstanding and lively as Madame Danzard, a portrayal that contrasts sharply with the more kindly roles she's often known for. The Madame is superficially sweet, and caring, but that facade conceals a considerable cruelty in her expectations and demands. The biting criticism she lays upon the Papins for even their appearance is unbearable to the point that she's totally unsympathetic. Her daughter Isabelle (Sophia Thursfield), though hard of personality, is submissive to her mother - yet essentially just as unreasonable.
Above all, the bond shared by Christine and her younger sister Lea is paramount, as close-knit as two siblings could possibly be. Similar as they are to one another, Christine is more forceful, forthright, and angry in personality, while Lea is far less confident, and desperately craves love. In both, though, there's a sense of co-dependence, progressively increasing as the Danzards become more exacting. That Christine and Lea begin to share a consensual, incestuous lesbian relationship doesn't even feel as salacious as society would want us to judge. For all the harshness they endure from their employer, and the lack of affection they've known from anyone but each other, their affair seems less scandalous and much more natural. And, even given the finale - especially in light of Madame Danzard's attitudes - it's easy to sympathize with the sisters.
Joely Richardson and Jodhi May are outstanding as Christine and Lea, respectively, giving emotionally charged performances with nuance and fantastic on-screen chemistry. They both readily draw forth from the depths of the sisters' complexities to realize them on film - easily matching Walters in her craft. Christine and Lea's gradual loss of composure, simmering contempt, and intensifying passion work in concert to build toward the climax, and as a moviegoer it's a joy to watch Richardson and May capture every bit of that turmoil.
Between the sisters' sexual relationship and the ultimate act of violence, it would have been very easy for 'Sister my sister' to indulge in sensationalism. Yet between Wendy Kesselman's adapted screenplay and Nancy Meckler's direction, these scenes are depicted in such a way as to give us a clear picture of events without being explicit. Christine and Lea are shown plainly unclothed in bed together, or sharing pleasure, but betray no censor-ready nudity for the camera. We see sprays of blood and tumbling bodies as the Danzards are felled without any need to visualize the blows that caused that bloodshed. It takes a deft hand to approach such moments more tactfully without robbing viewers of our visceral enjoyment, but Meckler capably does so, and it's a bit refreshing to see.
There are noteworthy themes at play including classism and privilege, the struggle of labor, and childhood neglect. Significant as they are generally to the tale being told, these are rendered secondary to the honest, marvelous portrayals of the Papin sisters and the events of their tenure with the Danzards. The low-key presentation of the film leaves it to the audience to take what they will from the experience, though the drift of sentiment is obvious.
Anyone watching with expectations of a graphic lesbian romance, or a bloody crime thriller, may find themselves put out as these aspects are more gracefully depicted with notable refined elegance. Yet the story of Christine and Lea is compelling and heart-breaking, and the performances alone are worth the proverbial price of admission. 'Sister my sister' is an engaging, worthy view, wherever one may find it.
The opening shot pans across the aftermath of a bloody crime, jolting in its visage, while the stirring strings of composer Stephen Warbeck evoke both pending drama and a certain nostalgia. The Danzard home, finely furnished, nonetheless feels empty in its occupation by only the mistress and her daughter, in a way echoing the spartan presentation of the feature that seems to pointedly eschew pretense. The picture relies wholly on the progression of the narrative and the depictions of its characters, without any hooks or twists to snag our attention beyond what it holds of its own merits.
Importantly, it's the characterizations and the performances of the cast that make 'Sister my sister' the compelling film that it is. Julie Walters is outstanding and lively as Madame Danzard, a portrayal that contrasts sharply with the more kindly roles she's often known for. The Madame is superficially sweet, and caring, but that facade conceals a considerable cruelty in her expectations and demands. The biting criticism she lays upon the Papins for even their appearance is unbearable to the point that she's totally unsympathetic. Her daughter Isabelle (Sophia Thursfield), though hard of personality, is submissive to her mother - yet essentially just as unreasonable.
Above all, the bond shared by Christine and her younger sister Lea is paramount, as close-knit as two siblings could possibly be. Similar as they are to one another, Christine is more forceful, forthright, and angry in personality, while Lea is far less confident, and desperately craves love. In both, though, there's a sense of co-dependence, progressively increasing as the Danzards become more exacting. That Christine and Lea begin to share a consensual, incestuous lesbian relationship doesn't even feel as salacious as society would want us to judge. For all the harshness they endure from their employer, and the lack of affection they've known from anyone but each other, their affair seems less scandalous and much more natural. And, even given the finale - especially in light of Madame Danzard's attitudes - it's easy to sympathize with the sisters.
Joely Richardson and Jodhi May are outstanding as Christine and Lea, respectively, giving emotionally charged performances with nuance and fantastic on-screen chemistry. They both readily draw forth from the depths of the sisters' complexities to realize them on film - easily matching Walters in her craft. Christine and Lea's gradual loss of composure, simmering contempt, and intensifying passion work in concert to build toward the climax, and as a moviegoer it's a joy to watch Richardson and May capture every bit of that turmoil.
Between the sisters' sexual relationship and the ultimate act of violence, it would have been very easy for 'Sister my sister' to indulge in sensationalism. Yet between Wendy Kesselman's adapted screenplay and Nancy Meckler's direction, these scenes are depicted in such a way as to give us a clear picture of events without being explicit. Christine and Lea are shown plainly unclothed in bed together, or sharing pleasure, but betray no censor-ready nudity for the camera. We see sprays of blood and tumbling bodies as the Danzards are felled without any need to visualize the blows that caused that bloodshed. It takes a deft hand to approach such moments more tactfully without robbing viewers of our visceral enjoyment, but Meckler capably does so, and it's a bit refreshing to see.
There are noteworthy themes at play including classism and privilege, the struggle of labor, and childhood neglect. Significant as they are generally to the tale being told, these are rendered secondary to the honest, marvelous portrayals of the Papin sisters and the events of their tenure with the Danzards. The low-key presentation of the film leaves it to the audience to take what they will from the experience, though the drift of sentiment is obvious.
Anyone watching with expectations of a graphic lesbian romance, or a bloody crime thriller, may find themselves put out as these aspects are more gracefully depicted with notable refined elegance. Yet the story of Christine and Lea is compelling and heart-breaking, and the performances alone are worth the proverbial price of admission. 'Sister my sister' is an engaging, worthy view, wherever one may find it.