Winterdieb

This movie is surely more than worth to be seen: I've been so impressed that I kept thinking for days about the characters and their fate and wishing them my best.

So, as you have probably understood the film is touching, let's say moving. Can't say if it is more the rare beauty of Louise or the remarkable talent of Simon for getting by that will affect you the most but be sure that you'll feel involved in the story as if you'd be part of it.

Needless to say that acting is perfect, scenes are catching and dialogue is most natural. I wonder whether is it a true story or not. I hope it is, otherwise I'd have to think that there is some kind of sadism in Ursula Meier's imagination.

This incredible drama from an acclaimed director was a given watch, and surely did not disappoint in every sense of the word.

The actors all do an incredible job, some of the best in their careers, and it showcases some very interesting writing that works beautifully.

It is overall very beautifully put together in terms of both cinematography, cutting and editing. Truly a beautiful film to look at in every way.

Overall, a great feature that I would definitely recommend for any lover of film. It is truly a great drama with some very appreciated acting, and is very well put together. Definitely one of the director's better films and a great masterpiece.

In "Sister", we find 12-year-old Simon living a desperate life with his sister Louise in cheap public housing in an industrial town near (but literally below) a ski resort inhabited by the ultra wealthy. Louise works sporadically cleaning ski chateaus, while Simon seems to be the main breadwinner through his dubious job of swiping ski equipment and selling it as a one-man black market.

This sad story is presented in an atmospheric, minimalist way, making full use of the picturesque setting, yet managing to make the grandeur of the mountains and the luxury of the ski resort mostly just serve to make the viewer aware of the sadness of the two main characters.

The movie is definitely sociological in nature, making the viewer wish some outside party would intervene and help with this horrible situation. No particular moral or message is presented, I'm not sure one is implied even subtly, except that the world can be a very sad place for people at the bottom, even in a place like Switzerland that is often portrayed as an ideal society (it certainly isn't in this movie).

The only fault I could really find was that the movie dwells for so long on Simon's thefts in the first half of the movie, which are not all that entertaining, and beyond establishing that his life is like that, I'm not sure that we really needed the full 45 minutes of him being a ski resort kleptomaniac. Nothing else in the movie felt unnecessary, or even worthy of criticism... for what it is trying to be, this movie is quite good, especially in the second half.

My only advice is to not expect anything upbeat. I found this movie rather depressing. That hardly means it's not a good movie, of course. Just brace yourself for one sad slice of life.

Really well done movie. I wanted to feel sorry for the pair of them, but I just couldn't, they were too unlikeable with their actions. But then part of me understood why they were both like that.

Glad to see so many positive reviews of this one. It's a fascinating, powerful film about two young people—a potty-mouthed artful dodger and a soft-faced older girl he calls "frangine" ("sis")—trying to live by their wits at a Swiss ski resort. Léa Seydoux's sulky beauty makes her perfect for the role of Louise; Kacey Mottet Klein, then barely into his teens, gives an amazing performance as Simon. Didn't recognize Gillian Anderson as the Englishwoman who takes a motherly interest. The slangy (not to say skanky) dialogue may be useful to students of advanced conversational French. Ursula Meier's first feature, "Home," is a total headtrip, longer on concept than plot and reminiscent of 50s absurdist satires of modern life by Ionesco and Jacques Tati; this one has real visceral impact. Both "Sister" and "Home" are available on streaming Netflix.