Your Sister's Sister

Upon watching Your Sister's Sister, I falsely mistook director Lynn Shelton for Lynne Ramsay. Unfortunately, I had another turgid cinematic experience with this film - courtesy of a very dim projector bulb. This made any scenes shot at night incredibly hard to make out. No disrespect to Ramsay - visually speaking, one could be forgiven for thinking the mood and tone of Morvern Callar had spilled over in to this film. Ramsay of course has the good sense to light her films correctly, despite her subject matter!

I have it on good authority that what I saw at the theatre was not what was intended, so until I revisit this film on DVD, I'll assume the same!

So to clarify, Your Sister's Sister is the new film by Lynn Shelton! It stars Emily Blunt, Mark Duplass and Rosemarie DeWitt. 

Blunt and DeWitt play half-sister's, Iris and Hannah. Duplass plays, Jack - Iris' best friend and brother to Tom (who Iris dated for a time).

Jack is emotionally distraught over the passing of his brother a year ago. After an anniversary party to mark Toms passing, Iris convinces Jack to take some time out for himself - and offers her fathers empty cottage as refuge.

Jack takes Iris up on her offer, but to his surprise finds the cottage occupied. Hannah is there when Jack arrives, taking solace herself, after the break-down of a lengthy relationship.

We're given the impression that Jack and Hannah know one another, but perhaps not well. They soon rectify that fact however, with a long night sharing stories and drinking tequila. 

The inevitable happens of course and the two end up in bed together. When they wake the next morning, they discover Iris pulling in to the driveway - formerly snowed-under with work, it would seem she's managed to free-up some time to accompany her friend.

Jack is inclined to keep the events of the previous night a secret from Iris - and ultimately convinces Hannah to do the same. 

This would be easy enough, were it not for the groups conflicting agendas - and their love and respect for one another.

Apparently improvised for the most part, Your Sister's Sister is a comedy/drama about three people bound tightly together through blood and circumstance.

The three principle actors are superb and thoroughly engaging. Each character is at a particularly vulnerable point in their lives and their human frailties are subtly exposed, with each passing scene.

Along with his own brother Jay, Mark Duplass is a noteworthy director (Cyrus, Jeff who lives at home). This is the first film where I've seen him in front of the camera and he's a lot of fun - garnering the biggest laughs! 

Rosemary DeWitt is gorgeous and the chemistry between her and Blunt is indicative of two loving siblings who've grown up together.

As far as the american independent scene is concerned, Lynn Shelton and the Duplass brothers would undoubtedly be on the minds of many. They make similarly human dramas with a healthy dose of comedy. I doubt they would consider themselves competitors - rather contemporaries. With Your Sister's Sister (and Humpday before it), Duplass and Shelton have shown that collectively, they are quite a formidable force.

Interestingly, the themes of Your Sister's Sister mirror the above to some degree - with a suggestion to all who're independent (but wish for more). Ask for help, go looking for love - and more importantly, seize them both, when they're offered you!

4/5

Poster image courtesy: www.joblo.com