Review of Sister My Sister (1994) by Steven S — 02 Jun 2008

Based on the real-life story of the Papin sisters, this psychodrama grips attention from the get go. The movie revolves round four main characters, and everything happens in that house that they keep themselves secluded in. The lighting, the camerawork, even the music created the claustrophobia that gave the viewers a real sense of the suffocation that must have plagued all four of the characters. And that's a good thing. I thought those technical details did much to form this rather otherworldly, oftentimes sinister, but strangely beautiful ambience.

The characters themselves were utterly compelling, perhaps because they were inspired from real life. First there is the mother-daughter duo of the Danzards. Julie Walters is simply a revelation to watch as the snooty and sarcastic Mistress of the house. While her banter with her daughter is often amusing, there is a real tragedy in their condition -- the way the mother keeps her daughter so protected, the way boredom has so eaten into their lives that they seek to keep themselves distracted by rather desperate means (that scene with the letter comes to mind), or by stroking their self-esteem through domineering and gossiping about the servants. Sophie Thursfield is quite a complement with her feistiness and as the character who is probably the most sane in that house.

Then of course is the pair of sisters -- Christine and Lea. That something isn't right was quite evident from the beginning when Christine is showed to have insane jealousy towards her mother, whom Lea really loves. Their tale is disturbing, no doubt, and the more the movie progresses, the more uncomfortable it strives to make the viewers. From a psychological perspective, the whys and the hows of their situation is too complex, which makes for an interesting viewing. We get that the isolation may have driven them to each other, but obviously the sisters shared a very strong bond, which combined with Christine's rather tumultous childhood, could explain the pull they had between each other -- eventually leading to sexual relations. However, as in the real life, it is hard to say what really went on. Equally hard will be to pinpoint the causes of Christine's mental instability. It is, however, quite clear that the growing criticisms from Madame Danzard, combined with the reclusiveness and perhaps the guilt at incest, alongwith Christine's possessiveness for her sister, all contributed to the pressure cooker that led to the horrific eruption of violence.

Jodhi May is convincing as the vulnerable younger sister with a touch of naivete and playfulness. But Joely Richardson was simply amazing as Christine, balancing the escalating levels of psychosis with her endearing tenderness towards Lea. The passion and chemistry between the two actresses is so undeniable that it makes one almost guilty, because of the subject nature. But I think, the point was to make their characters a bit more relatable, rather than just pinning them with the label of "crazy".

This movie is definitely not for everyone. Just the incest part is enough to squick people out. But even besides that, there are various levels of dysfunction, and it can be quite an upsetting watch. That said, if you can't get past that, I will definitely recommend it if you are into psychological drama.