My Sister's Keeper (Nick Cassavetes, 2009)

My Sister's Keeper: The Toughness of Letting Go

Death, I believe, isn't as much the terrible thing many of us make it out to be as is their terrible lack of maturity shown in the inability to deal with it.

Of course, if you believe that life is merely the result of random chemicals having met under one hell of a bunch of lucky circumstances, and that when the lights are out, "game's over" for good, you'll beg to differ, & you'll hate this movie.
But when you actually happen to know the mathematical probability for that scenario, you'll like it.

Apparently, most folks are real bad at maths, & so they hate thinking, talking, or watching movies about death.
Some fight it tooth and nail, like the dear mother Cameron Diaz portrays in this story.
It's tough for some folks to let go, tough to admit that another should determine some things that concern the outcome of their life, or some aspect of it they feel they're in charge of.
Ultimately, we'll all have to cope with the fact that Someone else is and was in charge all along, and that's when life will finally become livable again for those around us.

On a positive note, imagine you knew you were going to die within a certain amount of time, and you'd invest that time in creating a beautiful gift for your loved ones to let them know how much they meant to you...
Personally, I prefer that scenario over the bad surprises that people get who have allowed movies of super heroes surviving hundreds of explosions and thousands of bullets to convince them of their immortality...
Sooner or later it's going to be wake up time for everyone, & we'll find out it won't be half as bad as we thought it was before we started doing our maths.

Recommendations: The Matrix , Fratello sole, sorella luna , The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John

There IS no spoon!

My Sister's Keeper

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Sofia Vassilieva
Drama, 2009 (PG13)

The parents of a young girl diagnosed with cancer decides to genetically create another child that can provide what will hopefully be lifesaving donations that will keep their youngest daughter from dying. Over the years Ana (Breslin) is subjected to numerous medical procedures and with Kate (Vassilieva) still dying actual organ donation is next. Ana decides to pursue medical emancipation so as to gain rights to her own body even as her sister Kate withers away.

• Get your kleenex ready because you are going to need it. Their were tears streaming and eyes tearing up on every main character in the movie within the first 30 minutes. I found myself fighting sobs by the half way point.
• Very touching movie. Despite everything the family has to face you can tell that they really love each other.
• Your heart just goes out to Kate for living such a pain filled life of being ill. Vassilieva does an amazing job of capturing not only the pain and but also the joy that is inside of Kate despite her uphill battle for life.

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Just Me

My Sister's Keeper

I give the movie: 3.5/5

Beautiful actors, controversial storyline, touching plot - what could go wrong?

But that's usually what happens when emotional stories are brought to life on screen. No matter how good the acting is, you still get that slight hint that they are caricatures from a novel, and it is hard to feel connected to what we see on-screen.

That aside, this is going to be one of the most memorable movies you'll watch this year. I was struggling whether should I give this a 3.0/5; besides, critical responses have been rather lukewarm. But I finally decided to add another 0.5 because of how the movie made me feel. And although this is not the most important film to watch this year, I'd still recommend it.

Anna (the committed Abigail Breslin) is suing her mother (quite a miscast Cameron Diaz) and is demanding 'medical emancipation'. You see, Anna's sister is dying of leukemia, and her parents had conceived Anna seemingly for the sole reason that in the future, she can donate her one healthy kidney to her sister to ensure her survival. Does she succeed? How will this turn out for the family?

We are being introduced to the characters one-by-one by their various monologues, another jarring fact that this is a print-to-screen adaptation. But what is to be commended is the dedicated performances throughout - Sofia Vassilieva holds her own as the cancer-striken sister dealing with her own death, and watching her family degenerate before her eyes. While the final revelation is rather predictable, it is the actors' portrayal that we cling onto.

FINAL SAY:
Bring your tissue. Seriously, you'll need it. Touching and contemplative - I'll recommend to either read the book or watch the movie. You would get the same feeling from it.

Wilson Ng - http://wilsoniscurious.blogspot.com/

Last updated: 2010-03-14 04:36:02 by wilsoniscurious

Diaz, Cassavetes Sparkle in Otherwise Melancholic ‘My Sister’s Keeper’

Sure, the world is depressing enough. You've got all of this shit happening-the protests in Iran, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson passing away, not to mention the economy-and in retrospect, My Sister's Keeper's depressing story isn't helping a certain amount. Although a look inside one singular problem can do wonders all around. When I read My Sister's Keeper, the narrative by Jodi Picoult (who's no stranger to the 'gloomy' category), I was blown away; the book was fantastic. The story alone is spectacular, but it also triggers the reader's personal demons. The family-Sara, Brian, Anna, Kate and Jesse-are all so relatable you could've sworn that they live just next-door. The squad that has the duty to portray the grief-stricken family is among the best: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Jason Patric (In the Valley of Elah), Evan Ellingson (CSI: Miami, Letters from Iwo Jima) and Sofia Vassilieve (Medium). All great actors and actresses, but together just flat out not believable. I'd say unbelievable, but then you would get the wrong idea. Patric was emotionless, which is fine; that's how the father acted in the best-seller. On the other hand, in the movie, when emotions are required, Patric doesn't deliver. The same thing can be said of Breslin: stony-eyed and dizzy.

She's come a long way from Little Miss Sunshine and has had hits like The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause and Nim's Island since then, however don't go to Sister's Keeper seeking Ms. Breslin's return to Oscar-nomination roles. Ellingson, let's skip over (he sucked) and go straight to Cameron Diaz, the heart and soul of Nick Cassevetes' sorrower about a girl with leukemia. Diaz plays Sara, the worried mother of a disease-ridden Kate who'll go to ends of the Earth for her daughter (and she does). Diaz gives a vigorous performance and sparkles on an otherwise melancholic My Sister's Keeper. She might not be Oscar-worthy (although you never know, everything is changing for next year's celebration), but watch for some sort of gold star for the beautiful actress.

Another character in the story was Campbell Alexander, the lawyer for Anna. He was butchered by Alec Baldwin. I'm a huge Baldwin fan, I love his gig on 30 Rock, but every scene that he's in, he just doesn't capture the feeling that Picoult imagined in the book. Whenever and whatever dialogue is played off of him, he's quick to answer, and that's not how Campbell is originally. His seizure (yes, Baldwin has a seizure) is less than convincing, although heartbreaking all the same.

Nick Cassavetes is known for his sob-stories; he directed the 2004 romance The Notebook with Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. In addition, Cassavetes also condenses the 432 page work with Jeremy Leven, his writing partner on The Notebook. In the beginning of the movie, Anna narrates a bit on her thoughts of the world while we see some home videos of Kate, Anna and Jesse as kids, which gives the impression that Cassavetes will rock the rest of the flick. And he does just that. It was a smart move on his behalf to take on this project. From the courthouse scenes to rainy days in the hospital, this guy nails every detail. The theme throughout the film comes across as uplifting when the plot is upsetting and I adored that about it; a sunshine POV on a sad tale. Look for him to become the next Nicholas Sparks when it comes to ideas. Seriously, he isawesome.

Initially, each of the characters narrates their side on Kate's cancer battle, similar to the page-turner. It soon turns into one flat, dull attempt to make you cry. I'm sorry; I wanted to love it as much as the next guy, however it gets pretty sad. And not in the way that it's supposed to be. Cassavetes' story leaves out the whole subplot on Campbell Alexander and the ad litem's love interest, the endless reasons that Alexander brings his dog Judge everywhere he goes andthe ending is different than the book! Throughout a generally bad movie, the ending will really leave you saying "are you bullshitting me?" If you haven't read Picoult's effortlessly brilliant book, you'll like it, but if you did don't bring a box of Kleenex.

2.5/5 stars.

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-Nick

my sister’s keeper

everything that is bad about hollywood that is reflected in transformers, this film is everything good about hollywood.  a compelling story, believable characters, true human emotion.  it’s great.  it made me cry.

it’s the story of a family that concieves a child to be a donor child for thier older daughter that has lukemia.  they will use the younger daughter’s organs for transplants, her blood for transfusions and her bone marrow when needed to keep the older daughter alive.  that’s some pretty gruesome stuff if you ask me.  but then again, if i had a daughter with a disease like that what lengths would i go to keep her alive?  and there is no one that hasn’t been touched by cancer in some way or another.  and this film tells the story of how one family was affected.

i’m not generally a big cameron diaz fan.  i believe her best work was in the mask with jim carrey about a hundred years ago, but she’s still sexy as all get out.  jason patric is fantastic as the husband, the little girl from little miss sunshine is great as the younger daughter.  Abigail Breslin is her name and she is spectacular.  this little girl is great in everything she’s been in so far.  or at least that i’ve seen.  she’s gonna be around for a long, long time.  unless of course she gets hooked on drugs in her teens and ends up on “where are they now.”  let’s hope not, she’s a very talented young actress.

don’t see this movie alone unless you just need a good cry.  because cry you will.  take a girl and you’ll be her hero for the night.  i have to give this movie a five out of five.  and i don’t even have anything to give it other than stars.  anything else would just be wrong.  i’m probably never going to purchase this film just because it’s one of those i’m glad to have seen it, but do not want to see it again.  unless i think i might be able to get a little lovin’, then i might pick it up.

Cal Reed

My Sister's Keeper

Writers: Jeremy Leven and Nick Cassavettes
Director: Nick Cassavettes
Starring: Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Cameron Diaz

This tearjerker was hated by most critics but I am a moviegoer so I fell for this touching and funny disease movie that this year's "Extraordinary Measures" should have studied. Cameron Diaz gives one of her best performances and the love story concerning the dying girl is beautiful.

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Vincent Snavely

MY SISTER'S KEEPER (2009)

BOTTOM LINE: The stirring performances and thought-provoking subject matter will grip you in this complex tale of life and death, but a lack of directorial focus and overt sentimentality ruin what could have otherwise been a great film.

THE GOOD: “My Sister’s Keeper” delves in to the lives a family coping with the terminal illness of one of the children Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) who has a leukemic cancer. Mother Sara (Cameron Diaz) is a fighter and is prepared to do anything to save her; this leads her to follow an under-the-table suggestion by her doctor to create another child in a test tube who can be ‘harvested’ for donor material to keep Kate alive. This child turns in to Anna (Abigail Breslin) who after years of being subjected to medical donor treatments, decides enough is enough and hires celebrity lawyer Campbell Alexander (Alec Baldwin) to sue her parents for the rights to her own body. This idea surprisingly does not become a large focus of the film, with director Cassavetes choosing to focus more on the character interactions and the presentation of terminal illness in the character of Kate. The film works well in these character moments, with Kate proving to be the strongest of them all through the acceptance of her fate and trying to hold her family together. Cameron Diaz deserves big marks for her performance as she is completely convincing as the driven mother determined to do whatever it takes; in many ways, she is a monster and unlikeable in how she uses Anna, but in other ways, the ‘Captain Ahab’ nature of her character that Diaz brings to it makes the character more three-dimensional and forgivable than that. Other factors such as the sequences in the hospital which show the pain and suffering that cancer sufferers go through is compelling to watch, as are the touching character moments between the ensemble cast, and all the actors are to be commended. The film is genuine and believable in its presentation of a terminal illness, and in this respect, it is hard not to be compelled by it.

THE BAD: Despite the noble themes and strong performances, “My Sister’s Keeper” is somewhat unfocused and overtly sentimental. Nick Cassavetes is an actor first, and in this respect, his direction of the actors is second to none, but his ability to look at the big picture is lacking. The film meanders from place to place, jumping backwards and forwards in time and not providing a smooth transition between any of them. Flashbacks become huge long sequences in the film to the point where when we return to the original narrative, we have almost forgotten that that is where we came from. The premise is also contrived somewhat, in that the ‘designer-baby’ idea is almost arbitrary and forced, at least in relation to what else is happening in the film. There are also some not-so-well handled moments, mainly revolving around Alec Baldwin’s character of Campbell Alexander; his epileptic fit during the court room sequences is almost comically handled, when the idea underlining it is quite serious. Unfortunately, the film is undermined further by the manipulative sentimentality constructed from many sequences; aside from one genuine moment where Sara breaks down and Kate comforts her at the end, there are many “tear-jerking” moments that have been put in by design as opposed to being genuine. All these elements drag the film down, which is unfortunate as the subject matter is quite strong.

RATING: 7/10

Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

My Sister's Keeper [2009] --- 7

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1078588/



I really have no idea what made me want to see this movie, but I wanted to. I knew that it would be a sad story, and I knew that I would more than likely cry, yet I still had a desire to see it.

Needless to say I did all of the above. And it was still a really good film. But on the level on never wanting to ever see it again, in the fashion of Requiem for a Dream. It was good but I don’t think that I could stomach another viewing of it.

The movie was sad from the beginning, but this was never supposed to be a comedy or an action film. It just caught me off guard that they went straight into the sadness before anything else hit. It was a start that was harsh, but then again so was the movie. The entire feel of the movie was harsh. It was reality, it felt like this was a story that could happen, and actually did happen on a regular basis.

The only thing that threw me off was the plot about the youngest daughter suing her parents for the rights to her own body. I know, it sounds bizarre, but basically she just didn’t want to go her whole life missing a part of her own body for a case that was clearly going downhill and was not going to get better.

Really the entire movie was nothing but an emotional roller coaster. As long as you are in the mood for a movie like this it is a very good movie, but prepare to cry a few times and know that it will not end pretty. The ending actually left a smile on my face even through all of the events that happened to this movie.

I will say that this was one of the best roles I have ever seen Cameron Diaz play. It was so convincing that I never once questioned the fact that she was actually going through this. Her acting was so good that it makes me wonder if something like this has ever happened to her.

All in all I would only say watch this movie if you are in the mood to cry, or just watch a movie that lets you explore your emotions. Its not for everyone, but it was a god movie.

Base Score = 7
+1 for making me cry
-1 for such a sad story
-1 for a weird plot (with the youngest girl wanting her own body)
+1 for a great job by Cameron Diaz
=7/10

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Last updated: 2010-01-13 12:59:42 by Tolll

My Sister's Keeper (Nick Cassavetes, 2009)

Some films make us genuinely cry. Others manipulate us to cry. My Sister’s Keeper falls in between those two realms. Adapted from the novel by Jodi Picoult, the film is highly melodramatic and is very much a conventional tearjerker. Director Nick Cassavetes, who directed The Notebook (2004), shows nothing outstanding in terms of direction except that he does coax fantastic performances out of his team of actors and actresses whom are, without question, excellently cast.
 
Despite having Cameron Diaz, Alec Baldwin, and Abigail Breslin on board the ship, the film’s best performance, however, goes to Sofia Vassilieva who gives a convincingly touching display. She plays Kate, a teenage girl suffering from cancer and whose parents forcibly insist her younger sister to donate a kidney to her in a bid to prolong her life. Breslin plays this younger sister, Anna, who is genetically conceived in a test-tube solely for the purpose of acting as a ‘spare parts supplier’ for her older sister.
 
Since her birth, Anna had had frequent visits to the hospital and numerous needles inserted into her body to withdraw blood and bone marrow material. She realizes that this cannot go on forever because after all she is entitled to her rights in decision making. Thus, she enlists the help of a kind-hearted lawyer (Baldwin) who helps her to grant medical emancipation from her parents.
 
My Sister’s Keeper deals with the theme of conflict breaking a family apart. Here, Anna is at war with her resolute mother (Diaz). Even though her father seems to understand the situation, he does not provide an adequate intervention. Her brother, a rebel who sneaks out at night, is frustrated with his life and the emotional state of the family; Kate sees herself as the cause of misery and this despite being miserable for most parts of her life due to her sickness.
 
Cassavetes allows the drama to unfold at its own pace, and with the aid at appropriately-timed flashbacks, he gives us a narrative that is easy to digest and interpret, thus channeling our attention to the strength of the performances and character development. For once, Diaz shows her acting chops instead of just being a pretty face on screen; Breslin has also matured plenty since her Oscar-nominated turn in Little Miss Sunshine (2006).
 
My Sister’s Keeper allows us to realize that conflict gives people an opportunity to be self-reflective, and as a result, the prospect of becoming a better person. Cassavetes intends his film to be a study of human interaction in the smallest unit of society – the family. What breaks a family apart? What brings them together? The overarching element suggests the importance of continuous and open communication. My Sister’s Keeper drives this home succinctly, albeit with a trifle too much melodrama.
 
SCORE: 7.5/10
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Recommendations: Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich, 2010), To Kill a Mockingbird (Robert Mulligan, 1962), The Visitor

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Last updated: 2009-10-23 10:32:36 by eternality_tan