My Little Sister

A superior drama made more so by the performances of Hoss & Eidinger which provides a more complex emotional drama than what the predictable bare bones of the script would seem to offer. It is rare to see a relationship film surrounding twins which illustrates their unique connection as siblings & even though one knows the eventual outcome the details portrayed are more believable than most films dealing with this subject matter. A unique & frequently moving viewing experience.

This was a nice find I just came across when looking up Nina Hoss films I hadn't seen yet. I first really noticed her while watching Petzold's movies as she's in at least four of them. Having recently seen her give another finer performance in "Tar", I thought I'd look for some more worthy works with her in the cast. My Little Sister" deals with issues of one's life and artistic vitality being eaten away at. In one case, it's by a terminal illness. In the other, it's the demands of marriage and the spouse's work as opposed to the wife's waning writing career. The brother and sister- brilliantly performed by Lars Eidinger and Hoss- are twins, which serves to reinforce how close the siblings are. There's a connection; an unbreakable bond. Sven (Eidinger) is a flamboyant stage star in Berlin, suffering from the illness. His playwright sister Lisa lives in Switzerland with her husband, Martin (Jens Albinus) and their children. She leaves for Berlin to care for Sven, eventually bringing him to her home, where Martin reacts to his presence as an interference in his career. They have such great chemistry, convincingly selling us that they are brother and sister. As we spend more time with Martin and Lisa, the film shifts into the very type of problem she spoke of before- 'frustrated couples who rip each other apart and explore their sexuality to escape boredom', and the focus feels as split as Lisa herself. While it may be the intention, it is tough watching this woman stuck between both her husband and her ailing brother. There's nice touches here and there. Like Lars, an actor who must portray so many different people, wearing different wigs as if he's still acting, but in this case, he still can't hide his illness. The story opens with a bone marrow transplant between them, and culminates with a screenplay about Hansel and Gretel. Compare this to the scene of Martin taking Lars paragliding. The two are tethered together, almost like twin embryos, but the two men are not emotionally in sync. The only other half either twin needs is each other. Nice work by writers/directors Stéphanie Chuat, Véronique Reymond. Tone, pacing, dialogue, and story all cohere well. 3.7 stars

A beautiful film about the love between a set of fraternal twins. Every actor is pretty much just right, and the choice of music and the understated, lyrical cinematography makes this little film a piece of great art. The two directors of this film must be geniuses. This lovely, quiet picture will make you better for having watched it.