I apologise, we feel bad, but there's no trailer available. ~Ed.
My food take-away shop which the sisters meet to talk was use in this film and in return promise to recieve a copy of the dvd, hope you are reading this and can you forward a copy to my email va.f@clear.net.nz
There are some solid performances from the actors in Jinx Sister. There is very real tension and drama, especially in the scenes involving the two sisters. The production values exceed the budget and it doesn't suffer from trying to be too 'kiwi' like many NZ films have in the past. Because it's an emotional drama it will resonate in other countries and languages, having said that there are extra layers that New Zealanders will connect with in the film's South Auckland setting. At times the pacing slows to a crawl, and overall it could be shorter. There are also ocassions where the soundtrack dominates - although this could be down to the cinema showing the film. In terms of the accent thing, the attempt is ok, but it is a very big challenge to portray a hybrid accent, especially California/Kiwi. It was a bit confusing that Sarah had picked up American terms (e.g. Mom) people tend to use the words they know, even if there voices change (friends in London sound slightly English to me - they don't say 'chups' anymore they say 'chips' but not 'crisps' as the English do) My companion in the cinema also questioned why the LA establishing scene was needed.
Saw this film last night, and just read Parker's comment below. Obviously they got it a bit confused about her accent. She wasn't trying to be American, like the story clearly explains - she is a Kiwi that had lived away for a long time. I heard Sara Wiseman, who plays the lead being interviewed and she said she wasn't trying to be American, only her accent had changed and was a mix of both now. The pace is slow but only in comparison to blockbusters. I have seen slower in other art films. It's a strong story and wonderful acting all round, especially the two sisters.
I can't get this film out of my mind. It is staying with me. It does have flaws but the overall effect has been very moving to me. Reading comments below, I find it hilarious someone thought she was meant to be American accent wise, what film were they watching?? Everyone entitled to their opinion though. Sara Wiseman shined. incredible presence. Another highlight was the scene between the two men when Phil, the father broke down. beautiful performance. Good on this tiny budget film!
1/2 Too many false notes, outrageously contrived plot points, and some woefully over-explicatory dialogue pretty much kill the film stone dead before it's far out of the starting blocks... But there is still some good stuff to Jinx Sister. The leads – especially Wiseman – are uniformly strong and committed , all of them managing to find some unlikely moments of truth in the white spaces on the page between Tsoulis's dialogue.
Some may find the premise too slight to sustain a feature - the film is at least 10 minutes too long and many scenes have characters staring out the window long after the shot has served its dramatic function. But it's a creditable local effort.
Sibling dynamics can be fraught territory, and a challenge to any film-maker looking to expose and express the sources of friction. How to refresh or avoid clichés (“You were always Dad’s favourite”/“She stole my boyfriend”); how to reveal the past – flashback or exposition; and how to direct performances that are as much internal as external. With Jinx Sister, Athina Tsoulis can be proud of the way she’s risen to that challenge.
A rewarding film.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 23rd Oct 2008.
Release date: October 23rd 2008.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
