The best comedies seem to be the ones that deliver a punch or a message that not only gives the film meaning, but provides food for thought after the curtain comes down. The Neanderthal antics of college parties have their place, but are soon forgotten without some kind of impact to make us remember it.
Sisters sits between these two worlds, raking in the laughs of a wild poolside party while driving home messages of family, the meaning of ‘home’ and need for finding one’s place in the world. Where it sets itself apart is that the revellers are far from teens; they’re all 40-plus.
Comedian Tina Fey and Amy Poehler star as two sisters, complete opposites who somehow perfectly balance each other. Fey is Kate, the socially responsible, obsessively helpful one, while Poehler stars as Maura, the hot-tempered, unemployed and oft-fired party girl. When their parents invite them home to clean out their rooms so they can sell the house, the two sisters decide to throw one last party in their family home.
The party begins disastrously with their former high school chums now all middle aged parents used to discussing their latest relationship or health issues over a civilised glass of wine. When the sisters remind them of who they used to be, the party lets rip with a whole bunch of mid-life crises rediscovering their wayward youth again. Think American Pie if the parents misbehaved.
With many nods to films like American Pie, the mature participants of the Ellis sisters’ party add a fresh new slant to the genre. Paula Pell’s script abounds with hearty laughs that Director Jason Moore milks at every opportunity. Between the increasing number big laughs as the film progresses, there’s a steady stream of chuckles, making this very droll film an unexpected joy ride.
The character line up is relatively predictable given the nature of the film, but seeing an older generation playing future versions of the stereotyped nerd, bitch, snob, jock or lonely heart keeps it interesting.
The extra features on the DVD include a range of adlibbed lines, suggesting that much of the humour came from the cast members themselves. There’s certainly a lot of priceless one-liners to complement the action, with Poehler’s scene trying to pronounce Hae-Won’s (Greta Lee) name being the absolute highlight of the film. Anyone who has been in a similar situation or simply enjoyed the Chinese take-away scene from Dude, Where’s My Car? will appreciate the breathtaking beauty of the dialogue.
Sisters is one of those ‘sleeper’ films where the delivery hits far higher than the expectation. It’s a modern day party film for those who grew up with them and are now forty-plus. That’s not to say younger folk won’t enjoy this drug-induced, alcoholic rave, but their mums and and dads will probably relate to it even better.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Rating out of 10: 8
Sisters is out now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.
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