Your Sister's Sister Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.5

Your Sister's Sister Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 30, 2012

Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, Lynn Shelton's "Your Sister's Sister" (2011) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the disc include an audio commentary with director Lynn Shelton, actor Jeremy Mackie, director of photography Benjamin Kasulke, composer Vinny Smith, and production designer John Lavin, and an original theatrical trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Tequila time

Iris (Emily Blunt, The Adjustment Bureau, The Young Victoria) convinces her best friend Jack (Mark Duplass, Safety Not Guaranteed, Humpday), who has lost his brother, to spend some time at her father’s remote island retreat. Iris is convinced that Jack will be able to clear his head there, and even make some plans about the future.

Upon arrival, Jack discovers that Iris’ sister, Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt, The Watch), is also staying at the house. Like Jack, Hannah has come here to recollect her thoughts - she has just broken up with her girlfriend and feels like true love is very much overrated. Jack and Hannah quickly warm up to each other and begin talking. While talking, they also empty a bottle of tequila. Then, in the early morning hours, they make love.

On the following day, Iris shows up. She is surprised to see her sister and saddened to hear that she has broken up with her girlfriend. She tries to convince Hannah that it is all for the better - now Hannah could travel the world, meet interesting people and have sex without worrying about someone else’s feelings and emotions. With a little bit of luck, Hannah could even fall in love again.

Jack, who has been quietly listening to Iris talking, becomes seriously concerned about his sexual experience with Hannah. Using his best diplomatic skills, he convinces Hannah to promise that she won’t let Iris know what they have done. But when Iris reveals to Hannah that she really likes Jack - and not as a friend - and is trying to figure out a way to tell him, Hannah decides to make an important confession.

Lynn Shelton’s Your Sister’s Sister is a light and breezy romantic comedy that reminds a little about Yurek Bogayevicz’s Three of Hearts - a little, because in Three of Hearts Hollywood’s artificiality can be felt virtually everywhere.

Your Sister’s Sister is a very modest and very believable film. It has its fair share of twists and turns but it is firmly grounded in reality. What happens between the two sisters and their friend is plausible, their reactions are also authentic. The drama also never evolves into soapy melodrama.

The film also forces one to think about the relationships between the three characters, guess their actions and reactions. While watching Three of Hearts, one remains a passive observer. The confessions there make sense, the triumphs and disappointments are logical, but one never feels inspired to speculate with "what if" scenarios. Your Sister’s Sister does that - it inspires one to constantly reevaluate the events taking place on the screen.

The performances are outstanding. There a number of awkward scenes that are delightful to watch - or at least the funny ones are. If the actors had to memorize their lines, it is impossible to tell because the dialog has a wonderful natural flow.

Shelton and cinematographer Benjamin Kasulke, who also lensed Guy Maddin’s latest film, Keyhole, are a solid team. Some of the panoramic shots from the Pacific Northwest are stunningly beautiful. The conversations are also filmed with a great sense of balance - the camera movement is very precise and very effective and the exchanges never longer than they should be.

The original soundtrack by Vinny Smith (Humpday, sound mixer on Safety Not Guaranteed) effectively enhances some of the best sequences in the film.

Note: Last year, Your Sister’s Sister premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Your Sister's Sister Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Lynn Shelton's Your Sister's Sister arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

Shot in twelve days with the Sony PMW-EX3 camera, Your Sister's Sister has a smooth organic look. Because natural light has a very prominent role, parts of the film appear somewhat subdued. Detail and clarity, however, are very good. There are some minor contrast fluctuations, but again, these are indeed inherited fluctuations. Many of the outdoor panoramic shots from the Pacific Northwest are stunningly beautiful. Some actually look like moving postcards (see screencaptures #5 and 6). Colors are well saturated but warm, never looking boosted. Aside from extremely light banding sneaking in early into the film, the high-definition transfer is free of anomalies. There are no serious stability issues to report in this review either. To sum it all up, even though I did not see Your Sister's Sister at my local theater, I think that StudioCanal's presentation accurately replicates the desired by Lynn Shelton and cinematographer Benjamin Kasulke's look for the film. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Your Sister's Sister Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. Also included is a descriptive audio track (LPCM 2.0). For the record, StudioCanal have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track will not test the muscles of your audio system. However, if you appreciate nuanced dynamics and intelligent mixing you will be very pleased with how the lossless track opens up this quite modest film. The beautiful guitar solos that could be heard from time to time sound particularly good. The dialog is always very clean, stable, crisp, and easy to follow.

Your Sister's Sister Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - an audio commentary by director Lynn Shelton, actor Jeremy Mackie, director of photography Benjamin Kasulke, composer Vinny Smith, and production designer John Lavin. This is a wonderful, very laid-back but very informative and at times quite funny commentary. There is an abundance of information about the production process, the shooting of important scenes (and specifically the type improvisations the actors did), the look of the film, etc.

• Trailer - original theatrical trailer for Your Sister's Sister. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

Your Sister's Sister Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I loved this film. It is funny, it is sad, it is charming, it is honest. It is also brilliantly acted. I have to say that the finale is also perfect. These types of films have a tendency to stumble at the end, but this one doesn't. See Your Sister's Sister, folks. I guarantee you will enjoy it. StudioCanal's presentation of the film is fantastic. If you reside in North America, please keep in mind that IFC Films are also bringing Your Sister's Sister to Blu-ray next week (see our listing here). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.