Sister relationships often come at a price, especially when they are together under pressure. But when Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen and Natasha Lyonne are the ones in the mix, written, directed and edited by Azazel Jacobs, you can expect meticulous, intricate performances wracked with anger, emotion, and even humor. As in many families, there’s a lot of love, but very little like.
It takes awhile to understand exactly what’s going on when Katie (Coon), and Christina (Olsen) travel to their dying father’s apartment to take care of him and say good-bye. Rachel is the third sister, by a different mother, who lives with and has cared for Dad. She is a sports gambler and pothead who has her own special relationship with her dad. Lyonne’s red bundle of hair and crusty hoarse voice make her the odd sister out with her sibling rivals.
Director Jacobs and Cinematographer Sam Levy used well the confined space of an NYC apartment showing mounting tension dealing with each other and hospice nurse, Angel (Rudy Galvan) who tells what to expect without any real guidance or relief. And Jacobs also shoots a lot of the sisters’ faces in closeups so you feel what they’re feeling.
Three is a bad number in any relationship, often creating 2 against 1 on a regular basis and they all know how to push each other’s buttons. Katie is the oldest and takes control, or thinks she does, by cooking for everybody and doling out orders. Maybe she’s used to it as we find out she has unruly teens at home. She is also a serious wino. There’s hardly a scene without red wine in her hand. Katie is a Type A who runs when she hears the medical beeps change in Dad’s room. Coon gives a tough, convincing performance. Her serious theatrical training comes through giving a layered range of emotion. (We saw her in BUG at Steppenwolf, Chicago)
Christina arrives from the West Coast with a totally different kind of lifestyle. She’s more laid back, spiritual, willing to go along to keep peace. Into self-help, she does yoga to stay calm. She misses her calm home life, happiness with her young daughter who misses her Mommy. Rachel is easily upset by any nasty behavior from her sisters while Dad is in the next room dying.
Lyonne plays Rachel hard core, always wearing headphones, ready with an insult, trying to keep her lifestyle hiding out in her room, bucking being ordered around. She frequently goes outside to smoke joints, reprimanded for not engaging with the situation as well as by the old security guard reiterating no smoking on the property. Rachel does what she wants, when she wants, including going in to show her Dad the latest bets she’s placing for both of them. Her boyfriend, Benji (Jovan Adepo), is a good guy who tries to be there for Rachel, but tension is growing among all of them.
It comes to a head in a very surprisingly poignant and tender climax, with their Dad, Vincent (Jay O. Sanders) at the core. With incredibly tight performances from Coon, Lyonne, and Olsen, these daughters are forced to learn more from each other while mourning. Azazel Jacobs effectively puts raw strained relationships on display, with an impact.
Netflix 1 hour 40 minutes R
In Select Theaters now. On Netflix September 20th.
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