Sister Sister

I'll watch almost anything if Jennifer Jason Leigh is in it, and not just because she gets her kit off a lot; she's a great actress and usually elevates anything she appears in. But we all have our off days, and even Jen cannot save this Southern gothic horror from mediocrity.

Leigh plays Lucy Bonnard, mentally fragile younger sister of Charlotte (Judith Ivey); together, the siblings run a guest house in the Louisiana swamps. When dashing young businessman Matt Rutledge (Eric Stoltz) arrives at the house, he seduces Lucy, which annoys Charlotte, whose own relationship with sheriff Cleve Doucet (Dennis Lipscomb) is on the rocks, and angers Lucy's childhood friend and admirer Etienne (Benjamin Mouton).

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Matt is up to no good, but what is his reason for stirring up trouble for the Bonnard sisters?

Admittedly, the mystery is fairly engaging and develops satisfactorily, ending with a neat supernatural twist, but there is still something off about the whole film. It's difficult to pinpoint precisely what it was that didn't click for me, but there is definitely something awkward about the performances and direction. Lovely Jennifer does take her clothes off though, so there is that.

"Sister, Sister" is an erotic thriller filmed on location at a stunningly atmospheric mansion in the Louisiana swampland. A handsome young traveler, Eric Stoltz, is pulled into the mysterious relationship between innkeeper sisters Judith Ivey and Jennifer Jason Leigh. At mid-mark, this somewhat subdued film tips over briefly into slasher territory, before resuming its slow burn. Among the cast, Ivey comes off best as a guarded protectress with a mysterious past.

This film is most notable for just how good it looks: Stephen M. Katz's cinematography has a warm nighttime gauziness that gradually envelops the viewer. A very elegant affair, "Sister, Sister" might have benefited from more camp eccentricity, only glimpsed briefly in Natalija Nogulich's supporting role as a nagging guest from hell. This was Bill Condon's directorial debut: he would later return to Louisiana again for the underrated horror sequel "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh."

Not to be confused with the TV show of the same name, Sister Sister the movie is a Suspense Thriller! If you are expecting a comedy about twins separated at birth make sure you read the DVD box and go pick something else.

Set on the beautiful and mysterious bayou's of Louisiana. It follows the relationship between two sisters who have to keep a awful secret from childhood and what lengths they will go to, to keep that secret under wraps.

Judith Ivy's performance as the older protective sister is stellar and that goes the same for, screen chemistry between Eric Stolz and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Be prepared for twists and turns in this one. And a Paranormal touch too.

If you watch it for anything watch it for the mystery and the stunning dream sequences.

"Sister, Sister" is Bill Condon's first feature and possibly one of his best. This delicious Southern Gothic fantasy involves two sisters running a bed and breakfast in their Louisiana mansion. Terrible things start happening when a group of new guests arrive and the sisters' dark secrets start to come out. This reminds me of the types of horror films Bette Davis/Joan Crawford/Olivia DeHavilland would have starred-in in the 60s. I loved every minute of it. Jennifer Jason Leigh and especially Judith Ivey are perfect in the lead roles. I have no idea why this film is so underrated, but it's one of my favorite horror movies from the decade of excess.

Two sisters (Judith Ivey and Jennifer Jason Leigh) turn their family mansion in Louisiana into a guest house. One of their guests (a young Eric Stoltz) is an aide to a congressman, and turns their lives inside out.

Director Bill Condon is interesting -- this was his debut film, but it seems his career really blossomed in the 2000s with a string of hits: "Kinsey" (2004), "Dreamgirls" (2006), "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1" (2011) and "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2" (2012). Humble beginnings?

I actually did not find this to be all that great of a film. The cast helped it (Jennifer Leigh can do no wrong). But really, just not a film I am eager to see again and that is all I have to say.