JM_Hizon Most viewers could gloss over this film and say that it's about incest, or lesbian incest. But it's not; it's about class warfare. Or rather, a cold war between the upper and lower class. Neither side wants to commit the first strike. But when it finally happens, it unravels savagely as years of bottled-up frustration erupt at the worst possible time.It's also a parable about the unnatural structure of state society. One that creates predicaments in which people like the Papin sisters could be mentally repressed to the extent that their sexuality is misguided in an unorthodox direction. Christine and Lea's suffering happened because society has become complacent in the way class order is practiced.I enjoyed this narrative because there's no plot, yet the antagonist is clear from the beginning. The harder the oppressor bears down on Christine and Lea, the more introverted their sexual energy became. From an artistic stand point, this was an exercise in subtlety. At no point does the script underestimate the viewer's intelligence. Only available lighting was used- creating an atmosphere of seclusion and privacy while underlining the fact that Christine and Lea's conduct were perfectly natural (given their circumstances). Low color saturation emphasizes the inhibiting nature of man-made social structure.At one point, we cross cut between the madame and Izabelle playing cards with the maids having sex- indicating the distinction between superficial pleasure and organic pleasure. The performances are an example of four actresses who genuinely enjoy acting. It's a shame movies like this are difficult to find and are rarely viewed.

strangeland_tours The song at the start lets you know it won't be all pretty, it's a film loaded with repression, fears, despair and a developing mental breakdown.I strongly recommend everyone (who likes that kind of things) to watch it and are looking for a film that will make you think about how society can isolate it's members from both sides.I do not think homosexuality is the big factor here, watch closely and you'll see it's more about hitting bottom line.There are other movies based on sisters Papin, unfortunately I haven't watched any of these, I can tell all of you tho, that these British actresses are of very fine quality, the entire ambient is dark and makes you inhale deeper.This is my first review ever, so I hope it helps anyone to decide on whether watch Sister my sister or not.

fedor8 The first fifteen-twenty minutes don't promise that much, but after that the film gets more and more interesting, all the way to the fascinating and brutal finale. Well-made, very well-acted, and an intelligent story (based on a real case) of sexual, emotional and any-other-kind-you-can-think-of repression. The director intentionally didn't show any men, even when their voices are heard (the photographer, the lawyers); this was done to try to show just how isolated and in their own world the two nun-turned-maid sisters really were. The characterization is flawless, and the increasing tension in the house is reflected by suitably atmospheric direction.

chconnol I caught this movie one Sunday morning on HBO nearly seven years ago and I've never forgotten it. I had never heard of it before but ended up watching it because I was up early with my baby daughter (OK...so maybe it's not exactly the type of movie to watch with a sleeping infant in your arms but I couldn't get up to change the channel because I thought I'd wake her). ANYWAY...let's just say that anyone calling this boring is way off the mark. This is one of those movie's that is so odd but strangely compelling that you are completely riveted to it. It's very sensationalistic with all the Lesbianism and such but it creates such a creepy undercurrent of tension and anxiety that it's nearly impossible to resist watching it. The two women (actually a Mother, played by the wildly UNDER-rated Julie Walters and her dowdy daughter) are at first happy with their live in maids. But slowly both the Mother and Daughter's cloistered lives intertwine with the Maids. Jealousy and rivalry begin to tear apart at all of their lives. The teenaged daughter is secretly jealous of the maid's freedom in going out. There is one brilliant scene where the Mother at first tells the daughter that they might go to Paris. This gets the Daughter incredibly excited and happy and then the Mother abruptly (and deliberatly and cruelly) changes her mind to emotionally torture the young girl. The end result is a scene *SPOILERS HERE* of breathtaking violence. I don't think I'm going too far in comparing it with the ending of Scorcese's "Taxi Driver". Both endings have a strange kind of orgasmic quality of it. Both movies build up the tension among its characters that eventually (almost inevitably) leads to an explosion of violence. The acting is uniformly good throughout. Amazing to consider that there are only four characters in the whole movie. A great find. Not for all tastes (prudish types or easily shocked BEWARE!) But for others, especially those with a penchant for odd stories like the kind you find in True-Crime fiction type books and magazines, this one is for you!