Reviews

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  ★★★★ review by Vadim Rizov on Letterboxd

  How sad is this? It's like E.T. if the alien never came. A feral survivor of a kid, with the kind of pained intensity rarely seen outside the Dardennes' films, making do as a ski lodge pilferer. From above, there's nothing to see below, and truly there's nothing there; home is an anonymous apartment tower, the view from the balcony into the parking lot equally depressing. Home was horizontal but this is vertical, with an EU's worth of displaced persons, both as well-off visitors and motley workers. Very well worked-out, but also simply an enormous emotional gutpunch.

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  ★★★½ review by Mike D'Angelo on Letterboxd

  68/100

  [Reviewed from Cannes, where it screened in the Market.]

  Her least distinctive film so far, at times threatening to join the legion of vague Dardennes imitators. She's got a fantastic milieu here, though, which is one reason why it's too bad nobody could think up a good English translation for the film's original title—something along the lines of The Child Up High. ("Sister" also immediately foregrounds something that's meant to emerge gradually. Could say more but shouldn't.) Familiar but accomplished, with expert attention to detail, fine performances all around (including the best use of Léa Seydoux to date without making her a professional assassin), and an ending so unexpectedly perfect it stops your heart.

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  ★★★½ review by Daniel O'Raw on Letterboxd

  Sweet and sad, the kid is brilliant as is Lea Seydoux who is beyond beautiful. I'm now predictably in love with her.

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  ★★★½ review by Brad Henderson on Letterboxd

  Every film I’ve seen Lea Seydoux  I become more excited by her screen presence. She really  is an excellent actress and she is so beautiful. She really makes her blue jeans walk playing a struggling trampy  young  woman .  

  But the star of this film is young Kacey Mottot Klein as (Simon) the young brother to Seydoux (Louise). They both live close to Swiss Alps and ski resorts where there is many wealthy  people. Young Simon spends most of time stealing Ski equipment and then selling it to support himself and sister. He is quite similar to the young boys in Truffauts masterpiece THE 400 BLOWS. 

  Really enjoyable and loved the scenery. A not so surprising twist in the story develops also

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  ★★★★ review by Mårten Larsson on Letterboxd

  "Sister" (2012) is the very impressive second non-documentary feature film by French/Swiss writer-director Ursula Meier. It benefits greatly from fine writing and stellar performances from Léa Seydoux and 14-year-old Kacey Mottet Klein.

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