L'Enfant d'en haut

Simon (Kacey Mottet Klein) is a thief stealing from the foreigners at the ski resort. He lives with his aimless irresponsible sister Louise (Léa Seydoux). She's left yet another job and has questionable relationships. He gets caught by resort worker Mike (Martin Compston) but instead he starts selling the stolen skis to him. He takes bigger and bigger risks. He's an expert liar. He befriends resort patron Kristin Jansen (Gillian Anderson) pretending to be a rich kid.

It's a pretty good performance from Kacey of a ballsy character. It does need to amp up the danger for the boy. While the reveal is great, it doesn't really raise the danger. Maybe if they could add a thug looking for money or children services looking to take Simon away. Also it would be great to dig deeper into Louise's problems. Overall this is a little bit disturbing but needs to raise the tension much higher.

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.

Switzerland's entry for Best Foreign Language film (it will or won't be nominated come Thursday morning although it has already been announced as one of the Top 9 contenders by that organization) is about young Simon and his older sister who live in a housing complex at the base of a mountain housing a luxury ski resort/chalet.

Simon (Kacey Mottet Klein) steals from the rich customers who have so much they are none the wiser and his sister Louise (Lea Seydoux) wanders aimlessly from man to man looking for a possible guy to take them both into his life.

It is an honest, unflinching composite of poverty and survival and Mottet Klein does an outstanding job in his role as someone who takes chances because he has nothing (or everything) to lose. Seydoux again impresses (this time in an un-likable role) as her Louise is one who needs to grow-up and learn a thing or two; but without knowing much of where these two came from we cannot fault either of them too much. Gillian Anderson (The X-Files, The House of Mirth) shows up in a few scenes as an English tourist Simon wishes to impress but this story belongs to brother and sister.

We are all so quick to judge but oftentimes we know nothing of what we are talking about. Sister asks us to take a glimpse of another life and imagine ...

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.

"L'enfant d'en haut" the title in French, is "Sister" in English. I had to strain a little with my mother tongue to work out the title - My literal translation gave "The child from above" But after watching the movie I concluded that it perhaps was The child from the mountain top. This seemed more appropriate for me. As for "Sister" This also can be thought as fairly appropriate.

I was rather annoyed at the first half, depicting a child stealing as the only way to get by and supporting a derelict sister who did not seem to do anything to help herself. I felt there was such waste of energy and little constructive to offer in a world already saturated by petty crimes.

But as the story continued it became a lot more interesting and meaningful and kept me totally engrossed to see the outcome.

Before coming to IMDb I checked "Allo Cine" a similar site in French. There were the two last worst and best review. The worst one gave only 1/2 a mark stating that the "bourgeois" did it again as usual transferring their own hangup to the "poor" society to which they have not insight or idea about its living condition. ( or something to this effect). I believe most of us in some ways are isolated in our own social surrounding and it takes much effort to look or want to look at others introspectively. There are always some reasons for us to go one way or the other regardless of who we are or where we are. So I dismiss this view that states such disdain on the part of "the better of people" Some are very comfortable thanks to their hard work and also sometime a little luck. I don't think this film is set out to ease the rich people's burden to be different than their not so wealthy counterpart.

I see a very good attempt to zoom down unto a very sad situation and portrait its protagonist in a very raw manner to an excellent result. I also admire the finish, simple but emphatic to the depth of its sorry situation.