not a member? click here to sign up

Your Sister's Sister

Improvising actors shine in this sweet mumblecore tale of an almost-love triangle

Roe McDermott, 02 Jul 2012

It’s a pity Lynn Shelton hates the term “mumblecore”, because she’s fast on the road to becoming its Queen. Following the critical success of her 2009 film Humpday, Shelton returns with another character-driven drama that’s light on plot and heavy on both dialogue and charm.

Set on the beautifully shot, misty greens of an off-Seattle island, Your Sister’s Sister sees Jack (Shelton’s frequent collaborator Mark Duplass) retreat to friend Iris’ (Emily Blunt) holiday home in order to mourn his brother and clear his head. But when he arrives, Iris’ lesbian sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt) is there. Tequila is drunk, sob stories are shared, sex is had, Iris arrives and true feelings are realised – but has the damage been done?

Bearing an intriguingly simplistic premise, this tale of an almost-love triangle unfolds into something quietly, comically beautiful. Taking a leaf out of Mike Leigh’s book, Shelton had the cast and crew live together during the shoot, and the actors improvised as much as possible, resulting in a tremendously fresh authenticity. The naturalistic ebb and flow of conversation is heightened by one-liners delivered slightly off-beat, seemingly irrelevant tangents and jokes so off-the-cuff you can see the actors genuinely crying with laughter – or heartbreak. Grand gestures and dramatic moments are punctuated by moments of believable awkwardness and insecurity, so that grieving brothers lash out, giving eulogies that are uncomfortably honest and laden with mixed emotions. And when men walk out on the women they love, their steps aren’t met with silence and a single tear artistically streaming down a still, beautiful face. Instead we get a wobbly-lipped Emily Blunt, wearing a knitted hat that makes her look like the littlest, loneliest elf, desperately squeaking, “Are you coming back?”

It’s these moments of vulnerability that allow both Shelton’s direction and the cast’s talent to truly shine, and together they masterfully handle the delicate themes of sexuality, loneliness, loss, family, and the almost-incestuous taboo of loving the sibling of a lover.



Page 1/2     <Previous 1 2 Next> 



Related Content

Latest Articles by Roe McDermott

Movie Interview: Randal Plunkett

Randal Plunkett, Lord Dunsany, is defying convention by making Barons, well, a little bit badass. His horror short Out There has been selected to play Cannes this month...


2013-05-20

Best DVDs out now

“Presented” by horror master Guillermo Del Toro Mama is a singularly underwhelming scare-fest.


2013-05-10

Theatre review: Broadening

A non-linear tale of authority, compliance and manipulation...


2013-05-09

Hot Press meets Irish actress Charlene McKenna

Star of television’s Raw, Ripper Street and new film Jump, Charlene McKenna talks crazed fans, her run of creepy parts and the decision to quit her best-loved role...


2013-05-07

Best DVDs Out Now

It could have been another gloopy cancer drama. Instead, Death of a Superhero is a moving meditation on sickness and mortality – starring Gollum from Lord of the Rings!


2013-04-29

Contact Us

Hot Press,
13 Trinity Street,
Dublin 2.
Rep. Of Ireland
Tel: +353 (1) 241 1500

Email:info@hotpress.ie

Click here for more contact information.

Click here to find out more about Hot Press

Hot Press always welcomes feed back so if you've got something to tell us click here.

Advertise With Us

For more detail on how to advertise with Hot Press click here or call us on +353 (1) 241 1540