The Skeleton Twins

Twins Milo and Maggie have not seen each other for ten years then Maggie gets a call to say her estranged brother is in hospital after a failed suicide attempt.

She goes to see him out in L.A. and brings him back to New York. There he gets to confront his past, their joint histories and whatever the future may hold. This is essentially them getting to know each other again after such a long hiatus and in doing so holding up a metaphoric mirror to each other.

Now this started out a bit slow but once it picked up it is really engaging. Bill Hader as Milo manages to capture the complexities of some one full of life's disappointment but still with reserves of joy that just need tapping. Kristen Wiig plays his sister who has more layers than an onion in terms of how she juggles her various needs. In other words they are both just really human with the same frailties we all have. This is a comedy but it is somewhat dark and often wry but I still found this to be extremely enjoyable for all that – recommended to those who like an offbeat comedy.

Greetings again from the darkness. Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Ty Burrell and Luke Wilson ... prepare yourself for 90 minutes of side-splitting laughter! OK, well you can prepare all you want, but you should know that while there are some funny moments, this is one of the bleakest films of the year. Bleak as in achingly painful to watch at times due to the emotional pain most every character experiences.

Hopefully no one stopped reading after "side-splitting laughter" because here is a sampling of thematic elements covered in the film: attempted suicide, suicide of a parent, adultery, sexual abuse of a minor, rampant lying, depression, horrific parenting, drug use, animal cruelty.

If Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig of SNL fame don't spring to mind when considering those elements, please keep an open mind. Both are extremely good (and believable) in their roles as twins estranged for a decade, forced back together after a near tragedy. See, after a miserable childhood, their time apart has prevented both from establishing a strong personal relationship with anyone else. Hader plays a self-professed "gay cliché", while Wiig is pretending to have the perfect suburban life with her gung-ho, always "up", good guy husband (Luke Wilson).

The film's best humor is produced in small moments thanks to the connection between Wiig and Hader. It's definitely not in the almost shameful attempts at crowd-pleasing offered in the SNL-ish scenes of lip-synching to Starship, and over-indulging on Nitrous Oxide at the dental office.

Real emotional turmoil exists in the scenes between Hader and Ty Burrell, and the unnecessary and inexplicable reunion between Hader, Wiig and their mother (Joanna Gleason). Burrell, known for his outstanding "Modern Family" role, is intriguing as a dramatic actor. Looking forward to more of this from him.

The script, co-written by director Craig Johnson and Mark Heyman, really does capture some poignant and dramatic moments, and certainly benefits from the extremely talented cast. Just don't expect that side-splitting laughter ... unless you are susceptible to lip-synching and/or nitrous oxide.

Make no bones about it, the indie comedy-drama "The Skeleton Twins" is a nice little picture about two depressed siblings who reunite after not seeing each other for 10 years, and let's just say that the skeletons soon start coming out of their closets as they reveal much about themselves. The film stars SNL alumnus Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as Milo and Maggie. Milo is a struggling actor in Los Angeles who unsuccessfully attempts suicide in the film's opening scene. That near death experience brings him to reunite with his estranged sister Maggie who takes Milo to her hometown New York, so he could be in a New York state of mind. Anyways, Maggie is no bright chip of the old block either. She is unhappy in her marriage with a caring, devoted husband. She cheats on her husband and is taking birth control pills behind her husband's back. Maggie is one skeleton twin that is bad to the bone. The performances from Hader and Wiig were outstanding, and it was what brought the film to life. I also thought Luke Wilson was brilliant as Maggie's husband Lance. However, I was not too enamored with Craig Johnson's direction and screenplay of the movie. Too me it was a bit uneven and it might have needed some bare bones exuberance to the filmmaking of "The Skeleton Twins". But I am still recommending this movie as a solid viewing, and no joints are even required to get a semi-cinematic high watching "The Skeleton Twins". *** Average

Always given the bit-part characters in the great Apatow comedies of 6 or 7 years ago, it was a mistake of mine to never take Bill Hadar or Kristen Wiig seriously. Sure, Wiig showed some dramatic weight in Bridesmaids, but that was a light comedy after all. The Skeleton Twins is a lot darker, looking at suicide and failure. Wiig and Hadar's conviction really elevate the material here, especially the latter as her gay brother Milo. Their chemistry is predictably a joy to watch. I just wish I related to it more. I could empathize to a point but I didn't identify with it. It's a little difficult to feel too much sympathy for characters who spend the film feeling sorry for themselves and putting themselves into situations that hurt them. Nevertheless, the consequences the film explores are heartbreaking and authentic, especially the confrontations in its final 20 minutes. It has a lovely visual style to go with the mood with a soft washed out look paired with a great soundtrack, especially a memorable lip syncing scene that whisks you away with it. Perhaps it's too familiar or too irreverent for its own good, but it's certainly a good effort from everyone.

7/10

I think many people may find this film hard to relate to, but for the people who do it will really strike true. The sibling dynamic really reminded me of my own relationship with my brother--from the mouthing song lyrics to random poking to putting makeup on him to strange jokes/characters that don't make sense to anyone else. I've never seen a film that so accurately portrayed that type of relationship. Bill Hader was exceptional, with a subtle and nuanced performance (but then again I think he's great in everything he does). Kristen Wiig was also fantastic, and their chemistry really brought life to the film.

I think people who relate to the things the film deals with (depression, sibling relationships, dysfunctional family) will really love this movie, while those who can't see themselves reflected in any of the characters or situations might get less out of it. But so it goes for most movies, I suppose.