I am admittedly fascinated w/ the story of the Papin sisters and its
effect on literature and film over the last 70 years, so I looked
forward to seeing this film - knowing the content (murder, incest) is
as disturbing as it is.
Although the cast gives fine performances, and Sylvie Testud is
truly dynamic as Christine, I cannot recommend this film over
Nancy Meckler's 1994 "Sister My Sister." Where this one seems
academic in its focus on the details, SMS puts the kettle on the
slow burner and lets it heat up to the boiling point. And you will not
find more intense performances than those of Joely Richardson
as Christine and Jodhi May as Lea.
SMS is riveting and ghastly and heart-breaking all at once, where
MM left me oddly unmoved but for the graphic depiction of the
murders themselves which Meckler, thankfully, used a more
Hitchcockian hand to depict in her earlier version. Meckler also
employed a more discreet touch to the scenes of incestuous
love-making, adding eroticism to the taboo that actually enhanced
the impact of disturbance rather than making it a gross out of
fleshy incestuous sex.
So, skip this one and look back on the video shelf for the superior
Sister My Sister, and you'll be happy you did.
effect on literature and film over the last 70 years, so I looked
forward to seeing this film - knowing the content (murder, incest) is
as disturbing as it is.
Although the cast gives fine performances, and Sylvie Testud is
truly dynamic as Christine, I cannot recommend this film over
Nancy Meckler's 1994 "Sister My Sister." Where this one seems
academic in its focus on the details, SMS puts the kettle on the
slow burner and lets it heat up to the boiling point. And you will not
find more intense performances than those of Joely Richardson
as Christine and Jodhi May as Lea.
SMS is riveting and ghastly and heart-breaking all at once, where
MM left me oddly unmoved but for the graphic depiction of the
murders themselves which Meckler, thankfully, used a more
Hitchcockian hand to depict in her earlier version. Meckler also
employed a more discreet touch to the scenes of incestuous
love-making, adding eroticism to the taboo that actually enhanced
the impact of disturbance rather than making it a gross out of
fleshy incestuous sex.
So, skip this one and look back on the video shelf for the superior
Sister My Sister, and you'll be happy you did.