robinssa-98507
Too long, yes, but had me grinning start to finish and some serious laugh out loud moments. Great performances all round. Loved it.
Oli Palmer
It's not uncommon to see Saturday Night Live alumni on the big screen together. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider, the list goes on. Now step forward Amy Poehler and Tina Fey who co-headline this enjoyable comedic romp to show that anything the boys can do, the ladies can do just as well.Kate (Fey) and Maura (Poehler) are sisters who have led very different lives since leaving the family home. Kate is a hairdresser whose free-spirited life has seen her own daughter become disillusioned with her, while Maura is a kind-spirited, recently divorced nurse who always puts others before herself. When their parents announce they are selling the family home, the two sisters seize the opportunity to have one last big party in the house before the uptight new owners move in.If you were lucky enough to catch Poehler and Fey back in the days when they were co-anchoring SNL's Weekend Update segment, you'll already know that they have great chemistry together. This is also not their first feature together, having previously co-starred in 2004's MEAN GIRLS and 2008's BABY MAMA, not forgetting hosting the Golden Globes. The two actresses are clearly having a ball here, cast as close but ultimately differently natured sisters, both responding to the trials and tribulations the world has given them in their own way. Fey is particularly fun here, really relishing the opportunity to play a character who is as vulgar with her language as she is carefree with her life choices.Inevitably with this sort of family-themed anarchic comedy, there are some life lessons to be had here. The choices we make in life and the bond between siblings are all explored in Paula Pell's script, which does at times cross over into cliché territory. SISTERS allows itself to slow down a bit too much in these moments to the point where the film looses some of its pacing. It's not enough to hamper the fun though, which is mostly consistent even if a few running gags don't quite hit as hard as they hoped (a mispronunciation of a Korean nail salon worker's name is played just that bit too long).While this is undoubtedly Poehler and Fey's film, the large supporting cast all get their moments too. As their parents James Brolin and Dianne Wiest register some decent laughs, as do fellow SNL alumni Maya Rudolph and WWE wrestler John Cena, who crops up for a cameo as a heavily tattooed drug dealer named Pazuzu (he also gets one of the film's most laugh-out-loud bits of dialogue).SISTERS' humour is heavy on the crude scale; there's things going up bums, jokes about masturbation and stories of peculiar sexual encounters. Much like TRAINWRECK earlier this year, SISTERS is not afraid to run with the female driven gross-out comedy element, and it's all the better for it. In fact, if it wasn't for some of the sagging issues when the inevitable third act life lessons begin, SISTERS could well have been a contender for comedy of the year. As it is, this is still a very enjoyable time in the company of two of Hollywood's funniest comediennes.
