By: debbie lynn elias
SISTER, another Must See Festival Film in the International Showcase, comes to the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival compliments of Switzerland and director Ursula Meier. As she did with her 2008 feature debut Home, Meier continues to excel with tight-knit execution of a narrative that never loses its way. With a small cast and telescopic focus on her story, minimalism propels the film forward through a six month slice of life examination and character study of 12 year old Simon. A 21st century Artful Dodger, Simon lives with his sister Louise in a poor, industrial town at the foot of the Alps. Louise is more often than not unemployed and when she’s not flat on her back in bed sleeping, she’s hanging out in bars and sleeping around with any man who will have her. Wanting more for his life, Simon always looks up; up to the pristeen clean, sun-glistened white on white of the snow, the posh ski resort that bodes upper middle class guests and tourists, and a life of fun, frolic and comfort.
With the onset of the ski season, Simon makes his way up the mountain where he revels in the benefits of tourism by pilfering money, food, clothing, skis, equipment, iPods, cameras, and other personal belongings of resort guests which he then brings back down the hill, selling them for much needed cash. As we follow Simon through the days, we see his confidence and self-esteem grow, almost to the point of being bragadocious, before he gets caught by one of the resort workers, setting an emotional avalanche in motion.
Kacey Mottet Klein reteams with Meier after Home , giving Simon a maturity that harbors a childlike fragility behind the facade. Unfettered lensing creates an intimacy with the characters, and particularly Simon, allowing the audiences’ own emotions to vacillate throughout the film with the ebb and flow of Simon himself. As it is with life, nothing is ever as it seems and Meier lets the elements of life organically flow. The visual metaphor is exquisite as she juxtapositions the beauty of the Alps with the cloudy, dirty grey and brown of the small city below. Utilizing cable cars which transport tourists up and down the mountain symbolically represents not only the ups and downs of life, but the upper and lower classes. With surprising plot twists and a deepening complicated relationship between Simon and Louise, SISTER rings true with striking emotional clarity.
Simon – Kacey Mottet Klein
Louise – Lea Seydoux
Mike – Martin Compston
Kristen – Gillian Anderson
Directed by Ursula Meier. Written by Meier, Antoine Jaccoud and Gilles Taurand.
