Sister, Sister

While I am not a fan of Southern gothic set movies I had to watch SISTER SISTER because I set the goal for myself of finishing all the available movies of some actors with which nobody has ever done it, and Eric Stoltz is among them. And while I didn't loved it I just liked it.

Charlotte Bonnard lives in the Louisiana swamp zone along with her sister Lucy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in a huge mansion that managed to transform in a hotel for tourists. Lucy, however, is tormented by nightmares and ghosts since she saw some years prior Charlotte killing a man and then throwing his body in the river. When one day arrives Matt Rutledge (Stoltz) Lucy is head over heels but Charlotte is worried because Etienne could be jealous, and he was a witness of the murder. It won't take long to find out that Matt is the brother of the murder victim that came in the exact same motel for some revenge, but he'll die in the same aforementioned way.

The acting was decent by all and the night scenes added a lot to the atmosphere. My problems with this were that in some moments towards the end the leads' decisions became confusing and the ending was very predictable. But overlooking this, it's still a decent little horror recommended especially to fans of the genre.

"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."

"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.

Gothic bayou horror story about murder, revenge and the voyeuristic/overprotective relationship of two sisters. Excellent quality for a TV movie. Contains one somewhat steamy love scene which is unusually revealing for television.

This early Joel Cohen, sans Ethan, effort is passable. It features a good southern goth feel and some fine performances from Judith Ivey and Jennifer Jason Leight. It does rely too heavily on shock, rather than fleshing out its plot, but still its pretty convincing stuff! There is the requisite nudity and violence but at least this seems intune with the settings and people, unlike some deliberately sleazy thrillers. The repressed younger sister is understandably attracted to ahandsome "stranger", and her older sis is of course jealous. this makes sense and sets up a good twist with some nice nuances. Recommended especially for fans of Leigh.