![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Jacob, horribly disfigured and almost angry with himself for not dying, has become an antisocial shut-in, pounding away on a drum set at random hours to keep his demons in check. At the heart of "Little Sister" is Colleen's relationship with her deeply dysfunctional family and their halting attempts to connect. But that's okay writer-director Zach Clark is content to merely observe these people finding their way through life, much like Greta Gerwig did with "Lady Bird," and both films are all the better for it. Aside from Colleen's arc there's little sense of forward momentum or a buildup toward something. It's a good setup for an indie drama, and "Little Sister" is very indie, from its low-key vibe and naturalistic performances to its emphasis on character over plot. In reluctantly opening herself up to that world again, and her roots as a high-school Goth chick, Colleen has to wonder if she can't be both who she was then and who she intends to become. If not for herself, then for Jacob, who in the height of the 2008 elections is being held up as a symbol of everything that's wrong with America, whether he wants to be or not. It's probably to do with her childhood home in Asheville, NC, and when a halting, exclamation-filed email from her mother Joani (Ally Sheedy) announces the return of her brother Jacob (Keith Poulson) after a life-changing experience in Iraq, Colleen can't help feeling compelled to return. She finds fulfillment in doing God's work, yet her Mother Superior (Barbara Crampton) can tell something is holding her back. And since I completely rewrote my review for that film, I ought to do the same for "Little Sister." The eponymous character, in both literal and clerical senses, is Colleen Lunsford (Timlin), a twenty-odd novitiate devoted to her NYC church. After being thoroughly impressed by Addison Timlin in "Submission," I decided to find out what I'd missed after previously dismissing this talented actress as.well, just another actress. ![]()
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