In the 1987 Gothic thriller Sister, Sister from director Bill Condon, Jennifer Jason Leigh stars as Lucy, one-half of the Bonnard sisters who have opened their Louisiana plantation home up to guests staying in the area. Unfortunately, both Lucy and her elder sister Charlotte (Judith Ivey) have dark secrets in their past and difficulties with their PTSD, all conjured up by a recent murder of their dog that intimates someone knows about their secretive history. It doesn’t help that Lucy is falling for their new guest Matt (Eric Stoltz), a handsome rich kid who begins to steal Lucy away from Charlotte.
All of this is offered up with rich scenic cinematography and a gorgeous mansion design, aiding Condon’s flair for southern Gothic horror. Sister, Sister often pairs gloomy, hazy bayou settings – the swamps, the Louisiana heat haze, the smoky interiors of the town ball – with a beautifully tender score from Richard Einhorn to keep viewers a bit off-kilter. Instead of night hauntings through gloomily-lit corridors, the film focuses on the relationships between the Bonnard sisters and the reasons for their extremely close-knit bond. Born out of necessity, their connection never allows them to forget the secrets and guilt that led to their relative ostracization.
This emphasis on character study does tend to give Sister, Sister a slower pacing; Condon provides ample room for these relationships to blossom, including Lucy’s newfound love with Matt, but it also means there’s not a lot of murder or suspects. Ultimately, it takes the film until well into its third act for everything to come to a head with a reveal that’s not particularly surprising. However, Ivey and Leigh are able to carry the film with their own chemistry, and the pulpy soap opera elements in the conclusion do make it worth the wade through the swampy character exposition.
Some may find the pacing too slow, but Sister, Sister has a lot to offer. The strong storyline about sisterhood and bonding through trauma, as well as the juxtaposition in how trauma is managed by both the victim and the perpetrator, is well-represented in this Gothic-tinged take on the crime thriller, and the excellent scenery and mise en scene give this film a unique element that remind of Sam Raimi’s later Gothic-tinged thriller The Gift. This one’s certainly worth checking out, a lesser-known film with solid acting and a lot of heart.
Blu-ray
Vinegar Syndrome has released Sister, Sister on Blu-ray with a new 2K transfer from the 35mm interpositive. Despite the inferior source, the film looks excellent here with a medium-bodied film grain that often resolves in brighter lighting with a thicker consistency in the murkiness that is so often included in the movie. This transfer manages it well, including the relative softness of the cinematography throughout. Colors are consistent and vibrant. Fine detail is relatively good, though again softness is apparent throughout the film due to shot choices. Occasional damage appears, but minute. Overall, Sister, Sister looks great on Blu-ray and Vinegar Syndrome has retained the smoky haze of the director’s intentions.
Audio is a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track which sounds strong, emphasizing the emotive score. Dialogue is consistently audible with no noticeable drops or audio flaws. English subtitles are also included, although not featured on the menu.
Extra features include an archival audio commentary track from Condon as well as a new commentary from critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. Also new to this release are four interviews with cast and crew including Benjamin Mouton, composer Richard Einhorn, actress Natalija Nogulich, and cinematographer Stephen Katz. In total, about an hour of additional interview content. Deleted scenes including director commentary as well as an original trailer round out the offerings on the disc.
The packaging includes new reversible cover artwork and a limited edition slipcover. Along with that, a booklet with an essay from film historian Cristina Cacioppo discussing the haunting spell of the secrets and sexuality behind the film.
EXTRA FEATURES
- Region Free Blu-ray
- NEW scanned & restored in 2K from its 35mm interpositive
- Commentary track with director Bill Condon
- NEW Commentary track with author & critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
- NEW “Being an Outsider” – an interview with actor Benjamin Mouton (1080p; 13:50)
- NEW “Staying Honest” – an interview with actress Natalija Nogulich (1080p; 11:46)
- NEW “Orchestrating Altered States” – an interview with composer Richard Einhorn (1080p; 24:52)
- NEW “Going to War” – an interview with cinematographer Stephen Katz (1080p; 14:48)
- Deleted Scenes with director commentary (1080p; 3:03)
- Original trailer (1080p; 1:49)
- NEW 12-page booklet with essay by film programmer/historian Cristina Cacioppo
- NEW Reversible cover artwork
- English SDH subtitles
- NEW limited edition slipcover
Verdict
Sister, Sister is a surprising slow burn that has slipped into the swamps of disinterest over the years, but it returns with a great new Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome that illustrates the complexity of this Gothic thriller.
