Sister Sister

Two sisters (Judith Ivey and Jennifer Jason Leigh) turn their family mansion in Louisiana into a guest house. One of their guests (a young Eric Stoltz) is an aide to a congressman, and turns their lives inside out.

Director Bill Condon is interesting -- this was his debut film, but it seems his career really blossomed in the 2000s with a string of hits: "Kinsey" (2004), "Dreamgirls" (2006), "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1" (2011) and "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2" (2012). Humble beginnings?

I actually did not find this to be all that great of a film. The cast helped it (Jennifer Leigh can do no wrong). But really, just not a film I am eager to see again and that is all I have to say.

Gothic bayou horror story about murder, revenge and the voyeuristic/overprotective relationship of two sisters. Excellent quality for a TV movie. Contains one somewhat steamy love scene which is unusually revealing for television.

The director of this film, Bill Condon, later won a measure of acclaim for directing Gods and Monsters. His talent is already evident in this work which takes a familiar story and makes it work through wonderful gothic atmosphere and wonderful performances from Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judith Ivey, and especially Eric Stoltz. A nice combination of B-movie conventions with A-movie talent.

Two repressed sisters run a bed and breakfast in old mansion-like motel in the Louisiana swamps for passer-byes. A young man, Matt Rutledge comes to stay, for a break from the fast city-life and at first glance catches the eye of the younger sister, Lucy. Though soon, Matt realises that Lucy and her older sister, Charlotte are hiding some sort of secret from their past and this is the reason for Charlotte being so overprotective towards Lucy.

Oh, my beloved sister… what have you done? Now why has this film gone by terribly unnoticed? Hmm, it's hard actually to pinpoint. There's just something highly enticing about this effectively minor southern Gothic shocker. Shocker, might be too strong of a word, but chiller fits snugly I guess. Honestly, I wasn't expecting anything of quality or uniqueness. But it delivered. No doubts that the film's premise, developments and actual surprises aren't anything we haven't seen before, but because it's very well crafted by director Bill Condon. He professionally constructs an unsettling air from the beautifully damp backdrop and cooks up some stunning imagery.

You can't help but be drawn into this well-devised (if slow-grinding) mystery that leads you along with its stylishly taut direction and steamily uneasy scenery. I found it to get more and more involving upon every occurrence that resulted in this psychological drama-packed tale. Streaming through it is an erotic tone with tension boiling underneath the lavish-looking surface, as people play each other off in a complicated web of deceit and jealousy. Even a sprinkle of the hazy supernatural makes its way in, but honestly the surprise twist to close up shop puts a real spanner into the mix. It doesn't sit that well with what has gone before it and actually dumb-down the whole build up. Shaping up the classiness of the production is a bell-ringer of a melancholy score by Richard Einhorn that was intoxicatedly lyrical in its cues and Stephen M. Katz's wonderfully poignant camera-work gave it a delicate touch. The cast were exceptional in their parts and had a huge impact on the success. Eric Stoltz, Judy Ivey, Denis Lipscomb and the breathtakingly ravishing Jennifer Jason Leigh definitely lead the way with blindingly precise performances.

A fascinating, haunting little thriller that from the outset will just eat you up.

I'll watch almost anything if Jennifer Jason Leigh is in it, and not just because she gets her kit off a lot; she's a great actress and usually elevates anything she appears in. But we all have our off days, and even Jen cannot save this Southern gothic horror from mediocrity.

Leigh plays Lucy Bonnard, mentally fragile younger sister of Charlotte (Judith Ivey); together, the siblings run a guest house in the Louisiana swamps. When dashing young businessman Matt Rutledge (Eric Stoltz) arrives at the house, he seduces Lucy, which annoys Charlotte, whose own relationship with sheriff Cleve Doucet (Dennis Lipscomb) is on the rocks, and angers Lucy's childhood friend and admirer Etienne (Benjamin Mouton).

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Matt is up to no good, but what is his reason for stirring up trouble for the Bonnard sisters?

Admittedly, the mystery is fairly engaging and develops satisfactorily, ending with a neat supernatural twist, but there is still something off about the whole film. It's difficult to pinpoint precisely what it was that didn't click for me, but there is definitely something awkward about the performances and direction. Lovely Jennifer does take her clothes off though, so there is that.