This was an excellent, very well made exciting short film, which makes you sit on the edge of your seat. The dialogues and the performances were all convincing and the ending was cathartic. But unfortunately this movie is kind of a copy paste of a great danish movie called "The Guilty". If that movie didn't exist I would give this one a 10/10 rating, but the plot is so similar to "The Guilty" that it couldn't surprise me despite it's great presentation. Still I think this is the best of the Oscar nominated live action short films this year this year (I haven't seen SARIA yet).
P.S.: I didn't spoil "The Guilty", watch that if you liked this!
10 Reviews
Well-crafted, incredibly tense and gritty from beginning to end
Horst_In_Translation10 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"Une soeur" or "A Sister" is a Belgian French-language live action short film that premiered back in 2018 and was nominated at the 2020 Academy Awards almost 1.5 years later. The director is Delphine Girard, apparently still a relatively young filmmaker, and her effort here makes me curious about what we can expect from her once she makes the transition to full feature films. I got to watch all the five nominated live action short films last night before the Oscar ceremony and this one here was the first they showed and also my favorite from the bunch. At approximately 17 minutes, it as also the shortest from the nominees I believe, but the outcome here is a perfect example of how quantity does not equal quality because the other four are inferior, some even drastically. Shame this one probably never really had a chance to take home the prize. But that does not make it worse or anything. When and after watching, I still thought it was merely good, but after thinking a bit about it, I'd say it is even great and one of the finest short movies from its year and also deserving of the Oscar win. This partially has to do with lead actress Veerle Baetens here, who plays an emergency phone hotline operator. I already thought she was amazing on "The Broken Cicle Breakdown" (wow.. can't believe this one is already almost a decade old!), so I recognized her immediately. This film reminded me of a Danish film from not too long ago that was also fairly close to being nominated for an Oscar, but that was a full feature film, so there were plot twwists and everything. This one here is just very focused and essential story-telling that almost feels a bit like a documentary from a police investigation. Fittingly, I read an article not too long ago about a case where a woman called such a hotline to report a case of domestic violence I think and that she (or somebody close to her) is in danger, but she could not speak freely, so she disguised her call as if she was calling to order a pizza. The hotline operator understood and realized it is not a prank and managed to help her to become hero of the day.
This film is at least slightly similar to that but it as made way before the event I just mentioned (became public), so it did not inspire this film. I think the moment you realize what's going on, namely when you find out that the hotline operator just received the call you saw before that from the perspective of the woman in the car, you are immediately in the middle of this film. And you won't leave until it is over. It is that good and had me on the edge of my seat more than most full feature movies. Of course, you will need subtitles unless you are fluent in French, but this should not keep you from watching. It is really essential that you understand all the dialogues. I also liked how they elaborated on what happened before that, probably that the woman was abused sexually and then abducted. You would not know how it ends, if there is a big car chase scene, the guy loses it and maybe kills his victim and/or himself or whatever else could happen, but Girard took the most likely and most realistic way out without any spectacular final sequence. Or I should say any spectacular showy sequence because the moment the police stops them, he gets out of the car and surrenders. Felt very authentic and realistic. So did everything else about the end, for example how she asks the woman on the phone if she is supposed to step out of the vehicle now as well. She trusted her to make the right decision for her the way she did before that by basically saving her. And at the very end, when Baetens' character asked for her name, we find out how anonymous this job really is and how you have to deliver acts that are much bigger than a simple "hello my name is..." and still it stays a really lonely profession. The attention to detail in this film is nice too. Just one example how she steps away from the noise at her workplace when she is about to talk to the guy. She definitely is a pro knowing what needed to be done to do her best to save a life. There is no guarantee of course. Early on, there is also a brief moment of comedy when we find out about a guy who has been constantly calling for nothing that warrants calling. And finally, I would like to say that I think the title is a good choice as well. Very simple, but hits the nail right on the head. She is her sister that night, not only because of how she has to pretend she is, but also because the two women have a special connection. In the truest sense of the word. I highly recommend this film. Very well done.
This film is at least slightly similar to that but it as made way before the event I just mentioned (became public), so it did not inspire this film. I think the moment you realize what's going on, namely when you find out that the hotline operator just received the call you saw before that from the perspective of the woman in the car, you are immediately in the middle of this film. And you won't leave until it is over. It is that good and had me on the edge of my seat more than most full feature movies. Of course, you will need subtitles unless you are fluent in French, but this should not keep you from watching. It is really essential that you understand all the dialogues. I also liked how they elaborated on what happened before that, probably that the woman was abused sexually and then abducted. You would not know how it ends, if there is a big car chase scene, the guy loses it and maybe kills his victim and/or himself or whatever else could happen, but Girard took the most likely and most realistic way out without any spectacular final sequence. Or I should say any spectacular showy sequence because the moment the police stops them, he gets out of the car and surrenders. Felt very authentic and realistic. So did everything else about the end, for example how she asks the woman on the phone if she is supposed to step out of the vehicle now as well. She trusted her to make the right decision for her the way she did before that by basically saving her. And at the very end, when Baetens' character asked for her name, we find out how anonymous this job really is and how you have to deliver acts that are much bigger than a simple "hello my name is..." and still it stays a really lonely profession. The attention to detail in this film is nice too. Just one example how she steps away from the noise at her workplace when she is about to talk to the guy. She definitely is a pro knowing what needed to be done to do her best to save a life. There is no guarantee of course. Early on, there is also a brief moment of comedy when we find out about a guy who has been constantly calling for nothing that warrants calling. And finally, I would like to say that I think the title is a good choice as well. Very simple, but hits the nail right on the head. She is her sister that night, not only because of how she has to pretend she is, but also because the two women have a special connection. In the truest sense of the word. I highly recommend this film. Very well done.
Intense - I agree
chong_an9 February 2020
Night. A man and a woman in a car. He is driving, while she has to make a phone call to her sister, who is babysitting her daughter.
I agree with a previous reviewer that his is an intense short. Well crafted, but I have a nagging disbelief as to her attitude towards what happened before the depicted story starts.
I agree with a previous reviewer that his is an intense short. Well crafted, but I have a nagging disbelief as to her attitude towards what happened before the depicted story starts.
Oscar Worthy Short
quirk-585-87713118 November 2019
"A Sister" is an ideal short film in both its structure and content. The masterful use of camera combined with a powerful script and performances demonstrate all the essential qualities this cinematic medium has to offer. Delphine Girard's film couldn't be more timely and is one that will stay with its audience long after the final credits roll.
intense
Kirpianuscus16 January 2020
It is one of short films who you discover, scene by scene, detail by detail, as perfect. From inspired storytelling to the performances and cinematography. At first sigh, a gem. In essence, an intense drama because you feel each nuance of dialogue and its minimalism is real powerful. A call . A woman in the car. And her, in so many senses, sister. Short, exceptional in each detail.
The best of the Oscar-nominated shorts
plasmasphinx5 February 2020
By FAR the Best Short of the Year
dbowkerD7 January 2023
Having attended a local theater's showing of the 2020 Oscar Shorts (Live Action) this was by far the best of the set in a particularly good year for the category. Within the first 60 seconds of the movie you immediately understand the very serious danger the main character (a woman who is a passenger in a man's car). The tension only builds from there. Even in a small theater the absolute stillness from the audience was palpable.
What is especially great here is the utter economy of how this story is told, along with an absolutelying perfect performance of the woman on the other end of the line (a police call operator). The pacing is likewise spot on, being long enough to build the story and draw out the tension, yet short enough to keep everything compact.
The short that did win that year was great as well, in fact several were, but this is one that you came away most changed by.
What is especially great here is the utter economy of how this story is told, along with an absolutelying perfect performance of the woman on the other end of the line (a police call operator). The pacing is likewise spot on, being long enough to build the story and draw out the tension, yet short enough to keep everything compact.
The short that did win that year was great as well, in fact several were, but this is one that you came away most changed by.
Oh Brother
dti81211 March 2021
"A Sister" is a 16 minute edge of your seat roller coaster ride. The pace is frenetic and relentless, you feel as if you are in the back seat of the car. Wonderful job by director Delphine Girard whom I would like see get a chance to direct a full length feature and kudos to Veerle Baetens as the 911 operator who is cool and poised under pressure and gives a performance you can feel.
Nice French drama
Amylovesmovies7 June 2022
A sister
searchanddestroy-115 September 2023
Obviously inspired by THE GUILTY and some other movies of this kind, with more or less the same scheme, this short feature seems to be the first draft of a long length film made this year 2023 by this same female director. Many young director do the same actually: first a short movie and then a long one with exactly the same plot. Anyway this one is effective, tough, very well done, so I am sure that this woman film maker has great skills to resume in the profession. She deserves to continue, and not stay in the short "industry". I was really impressed by this one, where dialogues are so accurate, chiseled, yes, very impressive piece of work.
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