Sister

One striking feature of this year's London Film Festival is how many films figure dislocated young people or children struggling to make lives for themselves. My Brother the Devil (Sally El Hosaini) Spike Island (Mat Whitecross) and Benh Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild all take as their subject youths either trying to forge new destinies or children forced to grow up fast. Childhood provides rich material for strong movie narratives.

Another such movie is Sister, a Swiss production directed by Ursula Meier. Swiss films don't usually catch much attention, not in the UK at least, but this is worth a viewing.

A young boy is forced to take responsibility for his older sister, a burden he is struggling to carry. It's tough social realism revealing that Switzerland is not all ski slopes, muesli and cheap chocolate. Sometimes its colourless social housing, petty crime and a struggle to get by. Despite the tourists. Oh and it also stars Scully, sorry, Gillian Anderson, who lends the flick a little gravitas. As much as her presence might be interesting, it's hardly needed.

Here's a review. Click here.

Labels: