ME AND MY SISTER by Alexandra Leclère
Les SÅ“urs fâchées / Me and My Sister (2004)
Direction and screenplay: Alexandra Leclère. Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Catherine Frot, François Berléand, Brigitte Catillon, Michel Vuillermoz
NEUROTIC AND NEUROTIC-ER
Alexandra Leclère’s feature-film debut, Les Sœurs fâchées / Me and My Sister, is a tad overlong and a little too schizophrenic rendition of the pathological relationship between two sisters: Louise (Catherine Frot) and Martine (Isabelle Huppert), the former psychotically nice, the latter just plain psychotic.
Yet, the film does have quite a few funny moments and Leclère’s screenplay offers some interesting insights into the unhealing psychological wounds suffered by the children of alcoholics.
In Les Sœurs fâchées, small-town woman (Frot) arrives in Paris to (hopefully) sign a contract with a book publisher. Her Parisian-ized sister (Huppert) is having both marital problems and an all-around existential crisis. Needless to say, the small-town sister will have a hell of a time in the big city.
The film’s main assets are the two stars, both in top form. Isabelle Huppert is excellent as the psycho-sis, but Catherine Frot nearly steals the show as the goody-goody country-bumpkin who gets yelled at and slapped around, all the while emanating sweetness and light. A masterful performance.
Notes:
Goof: In one highly dramatic scene, François Berléand is screaming at his unresponsive wife played by Isabelle Huppert. Lying in bed, the wife is supposed to convey both anger and ennui. At one point, however, Huppert can be clearly seen laughing through her reflection in a wall mirror.
THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON
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