Do you think that we have gone too far in regard to familial bonds? Your answer may vary depending on whether you have seen The Good Sister (Schwesterherz in German), the thorny debut feature of director and co-writer Sarah Miro Fischer. Allegiances are challenged as we meet and follow Marie Bloching's main character named Rose, a young woman working as a nurse who has just broken up with her long-time girlfriend Jazz (Franziska von Harsdorf) and finds herself living transitorily with her brother Samuel (Anton Weil). Rose and Sam are rather close, even atypically so, which provides a level of comfort for the former who is a bit adrift currently. However, things take a turn one day when she gets approached to testify in a criminal case in which Samuel is accused of rape, concerning a night when Rose saw a woman (Laura Balzer as Elisa) leaving his room after hearing their commotion.
You might find that the ick factor is occasionally off the charts here but don't let that deter you from sticking around and finding out what the film is actually trying to dig into. Together with co-writer Agnes Maagaard Petersen, Fischer is engineering a fairly classical morality play, using the character of Rose as both a target and mirror for all the emotions that arise from this quandary. What's being reflected back at you are questions regarding justice, truthfulness, loyalty and the age-old "family first" mentality, and how you'd want Rose to respond to the situation she's thrown into. These are good building blocks, although some are examined more thoroughly than others as the writing duo stumbles with tone and cohesion in the second half of the movie, falling victim to putting hat on a hat when putting Rose through the wringer. These developments do muddy the waters somewhat, which is unfortunate.
Speaking of water, in addition to using it as a neat little metaphor when Rose is trying to fix a leaking tap or picking up a garden hose, The Good Sister gets back on track whenever it scrubs every unnecessary layer and focuses on the moral dilemma at hand. The tension, aside from the few lapses towards psychological drama, is palpable because these artists have created recognisable and fully realised characters that help to make the situations as painful, complicated and intimate—these people really do feel like family or friends who are comfortable being so close with each other, which is a proper feat for Fischer as a director—as they are. In perfect harmony with said intimacy is Bloching's performance guiding us through these murky waters, the actor portraying Rose's uncertainty, love and feelings of betrayal with fine detail, wearing all these experiences on her face and in her posture, underlined in one standout scene involving a police questioning.
Visually, Fischer and her collaborators (cinematographer Selma von Polheim Gravesen, editor Elena Weihe) are noticeably still finding their individuality and flair as the craft in The Good Sister can often be sufficient at best, possibly partly due to budget limitations but also partly due to not using spaces super well. Dramaturgically and character-wise, though, this is a very promising debut, exemplified by Bloching's acting and the filmmakers' trust in viewers to make up their own minds when it comes to Rose's internal struggle. Good stuff, you could say!
Smileys: Characterisation, Marie Bloching
Frowneys: Screenplay
When your research for a film only includes browsing "siblings or dating" threads.
