Gillian Anderson, a single mother of two vacationing in the opulent Swiss Alps, feels compassion towards a twelve-year old thief in the Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear winning film, ‘Sister,’ directed by Ursula Meier. (Courtesy of Adopt Films)
In the French film, Sister the limits of siblinghood are explored and stretched in a beautiful and melancholy way.
The story takes place on the peaks of an idyllic Swiss ski resort. Amidst the picturesque mountains and the wealthy, often clueless visitors is the sibling pair of Simon and Louise.
Simon and Louise are presumably orphans, and cling to each other the way an inexperienced climber clings to a cliff. Louise works at the ski resort to support herself and her brother.
While Louise’s income is enough to continue their meager existence, little brother Simon starts to steal from the resort’s fat-pocketed guests and sells the lifted property for cash at the bottom of the mountains.
While the movie’s premise may lead one to believe that Sister is full of light-hearted, petty criminal mischief Sister is actually filled to the brim with heartache and depth absent from even the most downtrodden features.
Kacey Mottet Klein and Lea Seydoux play Simon and Louise.
Klein, who is relatively unknown in the French and American film industry, is a powerhouse acting machine who shows the maturity of an Academy Award winner despite just being a mere 14 years old.
During certain scenes in Sister, the material becomes so entrenched with sadness that one gets the urge to leap from his or her seat and let Klein know that it will all be OK.
Lea Seydoux as Louise is just as convincing and heartfelt. Seydoux transcends the movie’s title and convinces the view that she and Simon are actually related.
Expect Seydoux to make a Marion Cotillard-like run to American cinema after her performance in Sister.
Despite its genuinely sad storyline, Sister is a must-see film for anyone with close sibling bonds.
While the French film might be a tad heavy on the story side, the film features a complete and well-acted cast worthy of praise.
Sister is currently playing at the Angelika Dallas.
