THE OTHER SISTER

THE OTHER SISTER

THE OTHER SISTER: D+

This movie was just painful to watch. I almost don't want to say this because I like Juliette Lewis a lot. Matter of fact, I think most of the time she is an outstanding actor. Not here though. I never once felt that she was actually a mentally disabled person. It felt very much like it was a person without a mental disability playing the part of a person with a mental disability. Even at times, mockingly.

Giovanni Ribisi wasn't a whole lot better. At times he did seem genuine and real, but other times his performance severely lacked.

And I'm not trying to act like playing someone with a mental disability is an easy job. I don't think Sean Penn did all that great in "I am Sam" either. Matter of fact, the only time I've seen someone play someone with a mental disability where I didn't feel that it was someone playing someone with a mental disability was John Malkovich in "Of Mice and Men." It's a very difficult task. I don't think I could do it. Lewis wasn't able to do it either. A very gifted actor with a wide range, but she has her limits. It showed here hard.

As for other performances, Diane Keaton, as always does a great job of playing the unlikable character with redeeming qualities. She's knows how to play those roles of the character you don't like but have to admit deep down inside you know she means well. Tom Skerritt, I don't think I've ever seen him in anything where I didn't like him. He's one of the main reasons I watched this movie all the way through. Hector Elizondo, also did a good job in this film and they could have utilized his character a lot more than they did.

The story.....that's where this film really falls apart. What in the world was it trying to be? A story of a pretentious mother having to come to terms that not everything in her life is going to be picture perfect? A story of a young mentally disabled girl looking for acceptance and her place in the world? The story of showing that happiness and love can be found in anybody's life, regardless of their situation? OR, was it simply a director that felt like watching Lewis and Ribisi try and pretend to be mentally disabled for over two hours? I don't know. I don't think the writer(s) knew either.

And, normally I don't say anything about this, but the score in this film was AWFUL. The music and the moments, did not match up at all. It almost felt like their must have been a contract made somewhere and the choice was, "Well, I don't know where in the Hell to put this song, so I guess we'll throw it in here."

I don't recommend this to anyone. On the surface it looks good because it has an all star cast, but the story falls flat, the performances are disappointingly bad and the accompanying music will even turn you off.