‘My Little Sister’ a tour de force of sibling bond amid challenges
Switzerland’s entry into the Oscar race, the powerful, end-of-life drama “My Little Sister” is set in part in Berlin’s theater world when it isn’t in Lausanne, Switzerland and tells the story of the bond between two adult siblings, both artists. They are the fraternal twins Lisa (the great Nina Hoss), a playwright and novelist, and her slightly older brother Sven (Lars Eidinger), an actor in Berlin. Sven is at the height of his powers in terms of his talent and reputation. But he is battling a life-threatening cancer and in dire need of a bone marrow transplant from his sister. He has already had two rounds of chemo. She delivers, although caring for her brother while raising her two young children with her husband Martin (Jens Albinus) who runs a posh boarding school in Lausanne, has caused her to cease writing. Also in the picture is Lisa and Sven’s aging and prickly mother Kathy (Marthe Keller), who chain smokes and is less helpful than she knows. For example, she burns a chocolate cake she is making for her grownup children, and she even tells Sven, “I can’t stand watching you waste away.”
The film opens with shots of blood running in a tube in Lisa’s arm and Sven in a sterile tent and a man and woman singing classical music in German. Sven, who wears a clownish wig to cover up his hair loss, wants to play Hamlet again with his usual director and his and the director’s accomplished and established company. But Sven does not have the strength. The director, David (Thomas Ostermeier), who seems to have had a thing in the past with Lisa, isn’t sure Sven can handle the “marathon” 3-hour play complete with fight scenes. He’s correct. But Lisa refuses to agree. Sven who is gay and unattached, needs to believe he will can do it. Lisa takes Sven home to Lausanne, to recuperate with her and Martin and their children, who adore their uncle.
We know where this is headed. But Lisa and Sven are such interesting people, and Hoss and Eidinger such accomplished actors that it fascinating to see how these twins try to survive their journey through this dark forest. Yes, they are another Hansel and Gretel, and Lisa gets the idea that if she writes a new piece for Sven, a piece about a grown-up Hansel and Gretel on a journey through the dark woods, it will somehow help. Is Kathy the witch with the chocolate roof, or is cancer the real witch? It was notably Gretel who killed the witch, while her brother was locked in a cage.
In “My Little Sister” art is attempt to fend off, if not thwart death and to leave something behind. Eidinger will remind some of Tom Hanks’ Academy Award-wining turn in “Philadelphia.” Hoss, best known for her collaboration with Christian Petzold (“Yella,” “Barbara,” “Phoenix”) is a completely riveting screen presence, who brings tremendous humanity to Lisa. What Hoss is asked to do here is show us how a creative mind operates even under great duress, and she does it brilliantly. Also adding to the film’s emotional power are selections from Brahms, Chopin, Schumann and Bach.
(“My Little Sister” contains scenes of extreme distress and profanity)