Sister (2012)

Switzerland as you've never seen it before. Sure, there is the postcard image of a ski paradise against the backdrop of grandiose mountain tops. Luxury and adventure, for whoever has the wallet. But behind the picturesque facade dwells a contrast; a story from another reality, filtered through the daily life of the 12-year-old Simon and his older sister Louise.

She's the passive of the two: self-dismissed from her job and brazenly foul-mouthed. Disappearing every once in a while to meet an array of fleeting boyfriends. We recognize the archetype.

Simon, a miniature criminal, makes a living on stealing skiing gear from unsuspecting tourists. He is handy and self-taught; have become mentally adult far too rapidly. At some points also caught in the act, which manifests inter alia in a scene where he is lightly assaulted by one of his victims. In broad daylight, in front of lunch-eating guests. That no one steps in between when a fully-grown man beats him bloody in the snow, ought to say something about the Swiss perception on child abuse.

Bittersweet it is, however, to see how Simon and Louise yet allow themselves to smile, with misery hanging on their shoulders. Broken souls, whose background really spurs more questions than provide any satisfying answers. I wanted to know more about how it came to be this way. How it went from point A to point B. But the narrative mostly just scratches the surface. At any rate refreshing in its unforced approach, but more depth and less money quarrels and it could have gone from good to brilliant.

Nuanced and well-written, we nonetheless receive an earth-shattering twist which changes everything we've taken for granted about the characters' established relationships. Thought-provoking in its originality, about situations you know are out there, but are seldom depicted on celluloid.

Sister, in its essence, is mercurial love-hate dynamics on the slithery uphill of life. Where the precocious Simon doesn't just steal boots and goggles, but also our undivided attention. That we are furthermore treated to an appearance by "X-Files"-star Gillian Anderson, adds additional icing to this uniquely concocted pathos-cake.

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