Orphans

I caught this at the SXSW film festival. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I think it is a wonderful movie. Orphans is the story of two sisters, Rosie (Lily Wheelwright), and Sonia (the outstanding James Katharine Flynn). They are estranged from each other but they agree to get together for Sonia's birthday party. Nothing quite turns out as either had hoped. We learn some of their history, both parents killed five years earlier in a car wreck, Sonia's drinking bouts with her father, but basically the movie is pure emotion from beginning to end. The acting is really outstanding as is the wonderful camera work and editing. I look forward to seeing these actors in future films.

Aside from the final sequence of Orphans, I felt Ry Russo-Young's film was a brilliant piece of cinema. The story follows two very different sisters who reunite for a birthday party and rehash their childhood. They discover how they really feel about each and justify why they moved apart in the first place. The dynamic between the two characters really makes this a great film--especially a dance sequence smack dab in the middle of the film which is utterly amazing. What I didn't like about the film was the director's choice to make something like a MADD commercial at the end of the film. And, especially, the choice to have one of the sisters actually talk to a grave. Other than that, I adored the film for its style and grace, it's zany character design and phenomenal performances by the actors, it's realistic dialogue and its gritty sense of direction.

RIP Lily Wheelwright