BIG SCREEN
Movie: My Sister’s Keeper
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin
There is a certain class of movies, so horribly beautiful yet so intensely painful that you just end up wishing you had not seen them at all. Nick Casavettes' heart-warming adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name leaves you so emotionally drenched that it automatically falls under this category.
Powerful narrative
Conceived biologically to be a genetic match for her leukaemia-struck elder sister Kate, Anna Fitzgerald (Abigail Breslin), brought into the world just to keep the former alive, decides to sue her parents for medical emancipation and rights over her own body, to be able to lead a normal life.
Presented in a non-linear fashion and strewn with plenty of flashbacks from the perspective of different members of Kate's family, the narrative shifts back and forth in time, depicting Kate's life and the impact of her existence on the lives of her loved ones.
Such movies almost always depend on powerful performances from the lead players to achieve greatness and this one receives that in ample measure.
If you thought Abigail Breslin was a revelation in “Little Miss Sunshine”, just wail until you see her in this one. Cameron Diaz as the overprotective mom makes full use of her meaty role.
Having said that just about everybody appearing on screen has tremendous scope to perform and have pretty much justified their casting.
The background score is in tune with the sombre mood. The screen is flooded with endless shots of hospitals and wards so there is very little to look forward to as far as cinematography goes.
It has to be said that at times the narrative is too slow and the screenplay gets a little self indulgent which makes the film less gripping than what it could have been.
Bottomline: Overall, a powerful script backed by some brilliant performances makes this a watch-worthy film.
Ananth is pursuing Chartered Accountancy.
