Title: Your Sister’s Sister
Director: Lynn Shelton
Cast: Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mark Duplass and Mike Birbiglia
The word “mumblecore” gets thrown around a lot in describing a certain genre of movie that are aimed to… how should I put this… a hipster audience. I know, I know, I’m already throwing up bad “buzz” words but I think there’s a greater point here. “Mumblecore” movies reach out to people in their late 20s and early 30s and generally involve characters who mumble through their words or emotions, therefore the label, “mumblecore.” Most of the time, when these “buzz” words are used to describe something, I feel it lessens the impact or film itself. In the new film from director Lynn Shelton, “Your Sister’s Sister,” explores romantic relationships with the view point of family. Trust me, this film is worth seeing.
The story follows two best friends Iris (Emily Blunt) and Jack (Mark Duplass), a year after Jack’s brother and Iris boyfriend, Tom died, the two find themselves to have a closer relationship. Jack doesn’t deal with the anniversary of his brother’s death so well so Iris let’s him used her family’s upstate cabin to decompress. Little does he know that Iris’ sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt) has also come to the family cabin to reconcile the ending of a 7 year relationship with her (now) ex-girlfriend. Jack and Hannah develop an odd relationship and are both confronted when Iris plans to surprise Jack at the cabin.
I’ve got to hand it to Lynn Shelton, she handles the nuance and pacing of this character drama so well that sometimes it feels effortless. For my money, Shelton transcends that nasty label of “mumblecore” into something that is tender and sincere. Nothing in “Your Sister’s Sister” feels forced or written but rather organic and emotionally powerful. The way Lynn Shelton places these characters in this isolated location is interesting. It is almost as if confronting the truth with allow them back into the city and back into everyday life.
“Your Sister’s Sister” is an engaging, compelling and wonderful character drama, dealing with hidden desires and unspoken promises. The dynamic between all three of the main cast members is absolutely charming. They seem to play off each other so well as if they were all already best friends. There is a certain driving force with “Your Sister’s Sister” that will make an audience hungry for the next scene.
Technical: C+
Acting: B+
Story: B
Overall: B-
by @Rudie_Obias
