Director: Ursula Meier
Cast: Léa Seydoux, Kacey Mottet Klein, Martin Compston, Gillian Anderson
Running time: 100 minutes
Plot: A young boy helps support his erratic sister by stealing off of wealthy holiday-makers at a local ski resort.
After being handed the Special Award at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival (AND being picked as the Swiss entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the 2013 Academy Awards), SISTER is on its way to the top. With such a powerful cast backing it, who could blame it for having high hopes?
Klein stars as Simon, a sneaky thief who frequently returns to a popular ski resort (not far from his slum-like home) to steal off of unsuspecting, very wealthy vacationers. He then sells on his goods, earning money to look after himself and his sister, Louise. However, when he gets caught by English chef Mike (Compston), Simon’s stealing days look as if they’re over.
With cinematography by Agnès Godard, Meier’s bleak outlook for Louise and Simon is matched beautifully with the moody, outdoors lighting and sweeping, snowy landscapes. As the plot slows down, the background scenery comes to the forefront, as Meier’s setting of a town in Switzerland was the best choice she could’ve made. Seydoux’s erratic, irresponsible Louise is paired perfectly with Klein’s mature-for-his-age Simon, as they look out for each other (up to a certain, emotional twist). With a small cameo from Anderson (THE X FILES, GREAT EXPECTATIONS), the film shows off that if you’ve got money, you’ve got money (or in her case, a flashy Range Rover). But if you don’t? Well, things don’t look so good.
Although emotionally powerful, the plot does slow down, to a point when you’re aching for the scene to change. And although both Klein and Seydoux gives amazing performances, the stilted language (or rather, subtitles) lessen the full effect. However, SISTER is a heartwarming/heartbreaking tale of love, survival and telling the truth.
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