Your Sister's Sister

Aptly titled, the film only has 3 primary characters. Jack (Mark Duplass) is a man struggling with his emotions and perhaps guilt over the death of his beloved brother a year earlier. His best friend Iris (Emily Blunt) was his brother's girlfriend. They are not romantic but care for each other. Iris suggests Jack go to her father's cabin on an island in Puget Sound and discover some inner peace.When Jack arrives, he finds an attractive woman already at the cabin. After some stumbling and fumbling, they realize that the woman is Iris's sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt). Unable to sleep, Hannah and Jack tell each other their sob stories over a bottle of tequila. Hannah has just ended a 7 year lesbian relationship and had gone to the cabin to get over it. After both get blitzed, they decide to give the old boy-girl sex a try. Hmm. Well, they're drunk so I bought it.The next morning, Iris surprises Jack and Hannah, showing up at the cabin. They decide to keep their one-time liaison a secret until Iris confides in Hannah she is in love with Jack. So now what? Well that's the rest of the movie and it wouldn't be fair to give much more away. Directed and written by Lynn Shelton, the movie is funny, tender and honest. The film is beautifully photographed (Benjamin Kasulke) showing the wonder of this part of the world. I was also taken the mostly acoustic score written by Vinny Smith. The movie is well written, well-acted and had a perfect ending.This Blu ray transfer has a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and is in 1080p. It appears to be digitally shot on HD cameras and as noted above, I thought the locations and technology were good in the movie and show well on the disc. The audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and is excellent. I did notice some unusual placement of some of the music. I use some front "effects" speakers in my home theater set up and for one of the few times they were noticeable...in a good way. I suspect this has something to do with the mix which Smith is also credited. I thought the audio was terrific.

"Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sisterAnd lord help the sister, who comes between me and my man"Irving BerlinEmily Blunt plays Iris, a sister to Hannah, played by Rosemarie Dewitt. They are really step sisters but who cares? Emily's best friend is Jack played by MarkDuplass. Mark is new to me in the acting word, but he is superb. He plays the laid back ex-brother-in-law to Emily. She was married to his brother but split because things didn't work out. It is the anniversary of the brother's death, and friends meet and greet. Jack has unresolved issues and Iris suggests he go to her family's cabin, an island off Seattle. Indeed he does, he bikes to the ferry and then onto the island. Breathless he arrives, only to find Hannah there trying to get over a seven year relationship. They talk, Hannah says it is fine for Jack to stay. They get along and things seem fine and dandy. The next day, Iris shows up with food for Jack, surprised to find Hannah.This is a 'feeling, talking ' film that all will enjoy. It seemed at times to be more of an unscripted film, the flow is so well done. Little looks, asides, umm's and ahh's are placed just right. The film really succeeds because no one pushes too hard, no one is over the top, the acting is just superb. The storyline is not cliched as played. The scenery is beautiful to and fro from the island. This is an entertaining film right from the get go!Highly Recommended. prisrob 01-13-13 Sunshine Cleaning][[ASIN:B004W7FX18 How I Got Lost True Adolescents

YOUR SISTER'S SISTER is a very uneven movie that seems both very naturalistic and very self-aware at the same time. Except for the opening scene, the movie is almost entirely focused at one rustic lake house on an island off the coast of Seattle. And except for that opening scene, the movie is almost entirely peopled by just 3 characters.In the opening scene, we see a group of friends chatting in an apartment building and handing around photos of Tom, a friend who has recently died and they are all gathered to informally eulogize. Tom's close friend, played by Mike Birbiglia (sounding just like Mike Birbiglia always sounds) begins telling of all the great characteristics Tom had. Tom is warmly toasted by all...except for his brother Jack (Mark Duplass), who has a few less than wonderful things to say about Tom. His awkward statements lead to social embarrassment, and he is mildly confronted by Iris (Emily Blunt)...who is (in a situation likely only in movies) both Jack's best friend AND Tom's ex-girlfriend. She encourages Jack, who is clearly adrift and somewhat tortured by the loss of his brother and the general malaise of his life, to take some time and spend a few days at her parent's old lake house. Just get away and think about your life. (Again, it feels very much like a movie device...in no way do you get the sense that Jack would benefit from time alone with himself, since he so clearly loathes himself.)But he doesn't get to spend alone time, because when he arrives, he discovers the lake house is already occupied, by Iris' sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt). Hannah has ALSO come to the lake house to nurse her wounds, because her long term relationship with her girlfriend has come to an end. The two have never met, but they quickly bond over a bottle of tequila...and mild mischief and misunderstandings ensue, especially when Iris decides to take time off work and visit her buddy.I won't tell you any more about the plot. This movie is all about the relationships between these 3 characters, and suffice it to say that more complexities are revealed. And these 3 have lots of time to lie around the house and work things out. Only in a movie would characters be able to walk away from any normal responsibilities to indulge their quest to sort out their feelings.Writer/director Lynn Shelton has set a chain of events in motion that never for one minute feel credible. Yet at the same time, this self-aware "movie-ness" is offset by very natural, rambling dialogue. It has an improvised feel and the 3 actors, especially Duplass & DeWitt, dive into their far from perfect characters with gusto. Each has attractive qualities and each has serious weaknesses. So despite the unconvincing plot machinations...the actual conversations and interactions between these 3 characters are interesting, convincing and involving. True, these are all smart, articulate people who speak more eloquently than 99% of us...but they also occasionally struggle for words, get tripped up by their own idiocies and most movingly of all, sometimes their emotions render them speechless. When you see a character that has proven the ability to talk, talk, talk suddenly unable to articulate their feelings, that is quite effective. You root for these characters.Duplass & DeWitt are more comfortable with the improvisational style. Blunt, who is an actress I like very much, comes off a bit more scripted and a bit less articulate...but the other characters are also more bitter, which lends itself to more witty sarcasm and self-excoriating observations.YOUR SISTER'S SISTER is not a fast-paced movie. It is as languid as the lakeside scenery. It is likely to bore a viewer interested in lots of forward momentum. But if you're interested in some intelligent acting and a fairly engrossing interpersonal comedy/drama...you might find enough to like in Shelton's uneven but admirable work.

Definitely one to watch!

On the back of the box, this film is described as "A heart warming comedy about friendship, love and life"Now unless my funny bone was removed whilst I slept, in my opinion there is no possible way this could be remotely perceived as a 'comedy'. I can happily say that I can usually detect the humour in the darkest of dark comedies but in this case I don't think that humour was the intention of the makers of this movie.I would instead put it down to bad marketing.On the other hand it is a well crafted drama with some fine acting, and this is what it should be judged as.I think I read somewhere that this film was shot over 12 days on an unbelievably small budget, and that a lot of the dialogue was ad-libbed. The ever watchable Mark Duplass has used this method before in the excellent Blue Jay, so working this way must appeal to him.I would probably rate this more accurately as a 7/10, but as half stars aren't available I think it deserves to go up from that score rather than down, hence the 4 stars.A romantic drama that's well worth a look, just don't expect any belly laughs cause it sure isn't a comedy.

Let me confess... I just enjoy anything on the screen as long as I am watching Emily Blunt! I am in possession DVDs of all her movies. She is a brilliant actor, give her any role...The story is rather unusual for it to be marketed as a comedy...it is anything but that. Two sisters, younger one, Hannah, a lesbian, one man, Jack, in search of meaning...Iris, the elder sister and very good friend of jack sends him to the family island house to get sorted where he meets, unexpectedly, the younger sister who has gone through a break up...things start warming up and become more complicated when Iris lands there unannounced... Worth more than on watch.

This is a movie with a few twists that are very well acted and in many ways what I'd expect from the real world. There are humorous moments and crisis moments that are very well thought out and meaningful to the story. Not far removed from typical movies perhaps but with a couple of twists that aren't obvious.

I had heard fantastic things about this film and was quite disappointed. The "great dialogue" was adequate and often dull. Emily Blunt for some reason had an English accent (half of the film, and it was poor) and her sister didn't and this wasn't approached at all, which made it seem massively unnecessary.

I'm not one to watch films more than once but I've watched this one 5 times now and will watch it in the future. I'm not sure what the attraction is except it a well written and well acted film. The three main characters are great and the script absorbing. It is just a damn good film.