Little Sister

Set in 2008, this indie is more of a relationship drama than a comedy, and is filled with lots of imperfect characters. It's a quiet movie where for the most part the characters come off as real persons. However, in my opinion, not everything works here and, at times, the movie seems to veer off into places it didn't need to go to be effective.

Addison Timlin is terrific in the lead role of Colleen, who's a nun novitiate in a Brooklyn convent. She's temporarily traveling home to Asheville, N.C., after a 3 year absence, at the request of her mother Joani (Ally Sheedy). Sheedy plays up to the hilt her role of the disturbed and drug taking mom.

The principal reason for Colleen's return home is to emotionally support her brother Jacob, most ably portrayed by Keith Poulson, who has been severely disfigured by a bomb blast while serving as a Marine in the war. Now, Jacob is extremely isolative and depressed and is suffering both physically and mentally. Thus, the remainder of the film will center on Colleen's attempts to help her brother, remembrances of her goth past, as well as trying to interact and cope with the remainder of her dysfunctional family,

All in all, this indie, written and directed, by Zach Clark, certainly has its moments, but I felt, as mentioned, it was too overloaded with on screen drug use and at times veered "off the tracks". Therefore, I would say despite its uplifting ending this was a mixed bag for me.

Guess it's about time I stopped getting surprised by how well-made and enjoyable these smaller- scale, lower budget productions are now. Hollywood's lowest point in time is turning out to be a great opportunity for independent cinema to thrive -- one that seems to have been grasped tightly by the artists eager to deposit their talent, a graceful offering at the viewer's feet.

Very good movie. Subtle. Touching on religion, multiformity, politics, war, originality, depression, esoteric balance. Clever, funny writing, effortless dialogue, casual performances (as per the plot's dictation).

Go in fearless, you will enjoy this one -- and a special shoutout to Ally Sheedy's The Breakfast Club persona, Allison Reynolds, who obviously grew up into a true-to-character-progression Joani Lunsford. Very effective casting and a delight to watch.

Young nun Colleen (Addison Timlin) is avoiding all contact from her family. Returning to her childhood home in Asheville, North Carolina, she finds her old room exactly how she left it: painted black and covered in metal posters.

Being raised in a Roman Catholic community, I was immediately drawn to the subject matter and the plot does spark some questions. Perhaps this is only regional (I don't think so), but there seems to be a decline in nuns, particularly new ones. They are seen in the community less often, and convents have closed down. So to have a lead character that is actively pursuing such a vocation is striking, as she is going against the flow of society at large.

Let's talk about the lead character, and the talent who plays her, Addison Timlin. The actress had her film debut in the gritty "Derailed" (2005), and has more recently starred in "Odd Thomas" (2013) and "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" (2014). No doubt she has been turning heads, and with "Little Sister" she will be turning many more. The character of Colleen is complex and versatile, and Timlin captures the core of who Colleen is with aplomb.

Although there are many themes that could be examined with regard to Colleen (not the least of which is her familial interactions), what struck me was the idea of growth and change. Colleen is an example of how our teen years are not necessarily an indication of adulthood. Someone in the "goth" scene listening to records about dead babies and Satan is just about the last person you would expect to join the Church, but it certainly is not impossible. We all know high school "losers" who went on to great things, and popular kids who flushed their life away.

Colleen's odd bloody baby dance (possibly the highlight of the film) complements the "growth" theme, and shows there are parts of ourselves that we can never let go of. Despite moving on, Colleen is clearly still comfortable in her goth skin. One might ask: is goth culture consistent with being a good Christian? Can someone be a nun and sing about bloody babies? The answer is yes. Just as horror fans – who surround themselves with fictitious murder stories -- are some of the kindest people on earth. As strange as it may sound, there is no contradiction between telling dead baby jokes and simultaneously upholding the value of life.

Supporting Timlin is Barbara Crampton in one of her best roles, far more serious than her early horror work under the legendary Stuart Gordon and with far more depth than her soap opera stints. Crampton's role is smaller but memorable, and her legion of fans will be sure to savor every minute. Also supporting Timlin is Ally Sheedy, who has always been a treat from her 1980s John Hughes era up through her appearances on "Psych". In "Little Sister", Sheedy is not the most lovable (she might even be seen as a villain), but it's never a bad idea to cast her when you can.

Interestingly, I felt the film has a 1980s sensibility, despite the occasional overt politics and the use of certain technologies like webcams (though cell phones seem to be rare in North Carolina). And I use the 1980s reference as the highest compliment. Being set in 2008, there is a sense of the film being anti-Bush, including a 9/11 performance art piece, and I could have done with less of the politics. The only reason to be set in 2008, so far as I can tell, is to have a reason behind the fate of Colleen's brother with the war in Iraq still going strong. But that wouldn't have been an exclusively 2008 thing.

And speaking of Colleen's brother, a special note of congratulations must go to Brian Spears. I've admired Spears for a long time now through his makeup work with Larry Fessenden, Jim Mickle, Ti West and others in the "Mulberry Street Gang". He goes all out in "Little Sister", making what could be one of the most convincing burned man prosthetics ever put to film.

Written by Melodie Sisk and Zach Clark, directed by Clark, and produced by Clark, Sisk, and Joe Swanberg, "Little Sister" is a film that defies genres. It is never quite funny enough to be an outright comedy, and it seems insulting to lump it under the catch-all of "drama". All I know is that it is a fun and empowering film, and should be watched and enjoyed by any fan of the fantastic film genres. The film has its premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival on July 28, 2016.

Roger Ebert had a great line describing the feel of this movie. After quoting a piece of wacky dialogue (talking about lesbian Satanism), Ebert said: "It's a powerful indication of just how well Little Sister works that the above exchange does not come off as 'quirky,' or 'kooky,' or a 'black comedy' ba-dumb-ching punchline."

That's what I mean in the title of this review. Although you'd think the story is poised to be a thick satire, it's not. And that's what makes it unique and effective. I mean with a plot about an ex-goth girl becoming a nun whilst reconnecting with her brother who came back from the war in Iraq and her stoner parents in a small town in North Carolina, you'd think this could be every bit as cheeky as Edward Scissorhands without the scissors. But instead, director Zach Clark chose to play it straight.

The result is a film that might not be as laugh-out-loud funny or bizarre as it could be, but in its place we get a serious message that we can apply to our lives. I won't tell you what that message is, but if you watch the movie then pay attention to Ally Sheedy's (the mom) monologue near the end which ties everything together and drives the point home.

Gosh well I just made this movie sound as dry as a nun's gusset. But no, it's actually interesting and had a few moments of classic humor. One such moment happens when the girl, all gothed up, and her brother, disfigured from the war, are walking in the woods when they come up on a young kid who stares at them and asks "are you monsters?" Awkward silence is followed by the brother shrugging and saying matter-of-factly, "yeah."

It's this sort of subtle humor with serious meaning that carries the film all the way through. So, as Roger Ebert said, don't expect a lot of zingers because this movie is pretty subtle.

Something worth mentioning is the odd soundtrack composed of a lot of drum solos and 80s alt-metal/punk bands like GWAR ("Have You Seen Me"), Christian Death ("Romeo's Distress") and Kitchen & the Plastic Spoons ("Happy Funeral"). The use of obscure cult classics reminded me of the films "Pump Up the Volume" and "Empire Records", two other great films that have a similar vibe to Little Sister, that is, a wacky plot but played mostly on a serious level to keep things real.

Acting is excellent all around with a notable performance by Ally Sheedy who plays a dysfunctional mom who could easily be the grown up version of her iconic character in "The Breakfast Club" (1985). Cinematography is interesting, beginning with conservative shots & reality (hand held camera), but as the plot gets weirder so does the camera, bringing us to a bizarre Halloween climax that could've easily been shot by Tim Burton. Little Sister is totally worth the price of admission and I'll probably be watching it a 2nd time. So I guess you could say this nun flick is habit forming. (How's that for a ba-dumb-ching)

This film is a rare gem, watch it.

---Mild Spoilers----

This is one of those films which makes you think about it after watching it. It's a sweet film filled with sadness. The lead actress is struggling to find a structure, her veteran brother is struggling with ptsd and injuries, her brother's fiance is struggling whether with her fiance's new appearance and is secretly a adult cam actress, her mother is struggling with mental illness and committed a failed suicide attempt.