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Health & Fitness

PERFECT SISTERS

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Opening in theatres this week from director Stanley Brooks and Gravitas Ventures comes a tale of the PERFECT SISTERS.

This film tells the story of sisters Sandra (Abigail Breslin) and Beth (Georgie Henley). Growing up in a dysfunctional family they constantly deal with their alcoholic mother Linda (Mira Sorvino).

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Moving from place to place because their mother can’t hold a job, the girls lean on their friends for support. Beth has boyfriend Justin (Jeffrey Ballard) and Sandra is continually being followed by crush David (Jonathan Malen).

The girls start joking about ways to get rid of their mother. Talking and joking about it they even ask for ideas on social media. But the joking turns serious as their mother’s boyfriend Bowman (James Russo) moves in. The girls can’t handle his creepiness and red hot temper.

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It all comes to a head when what was just talk turns into reality!

FINAL WORD: Breslin as Sandra seemed a little off her game. There are moments where I didn’t quite believe the character. Knowing she is a talented actress, this role didn’t show the best of that talent. That being said Breslin plays off Henley beautifully.

Henley as Beth with this role has shed the cute image of Lucy from THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. As Beth she plays a dark and lost young woman who doesn’t think things through. Wanting freedom her character becomes lost in the idea of murder and actually of doing it. The wide-eyed actress gives her role a little grit.

Sorvino as Linda looks so different. It actually took me a moment to realize it was Sorvino I was looking at. Lost herself it is easy to understand the frustrations of the two teenage girls. Russo as the abusive Bowman reminded me so much of his startling role of Joe in the film EXTREMITIES. He had the demeanor that is perfect for this role.

Ballard as Justin is quiet and goes along the talk of Sandra and Beth. In that quiet a conspiracy is born. Malen as David appears to be a lover scorned but he also brings the girls to justice. It’s a double edge emotion about this character.

Other cast include: Zoe Belkin as Ashley, Rusty Swimmer as Aunt Martha, Stephan James as Donny, and Zak Santiago as Det. Gates.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give PERFECT SISTERS three tubs of popcorn out of five. The film is based on the book “The Class Project: How to Kill a Mother”. The story is one of sadness really that these two girls felt there was no other choice than murder. Breslin and Henley do a decent job of portraying these two teens and are actually amazing on screen together.

There are some things that are off about the acting in the film. It is grey, gritty and hard to watch in some respects. No one wants to think that a child needs to do what these two girls did in order to find freedom.

After the film I appreciate knowing what happened to these two girls. Instead of leaving the audience guessing, especially after the ending scene, director Brooks finishes with a bit of hope for both girls.

Why make the film? “The moral ambiguity of it hooked me,” says Brooks. “It’s an ethical dilemma. Are these girls’ victims or villains – or both? The challenge in creating a movie was to make everyone human, not good guys or bad guys. I thought if I could make the situation that these girls are caught in sympathetic enough before they do what they do, and still keep some of that sympathy after, then I will have made a successful film. If half the audience walks out thinking they did the right thing and the other half believes they did wrong, then that is a success as far as I’m concerned.”

In the end – being a teenager can be murder.

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