Reviews

The good news? Loved the book and had been wishing for 6 years that someone might make it into a great film. I was excited. How I hate to write the obvious next line, but, you know - the bad news? The director changed too much. Enjoyed his beautiful, gritty "Rust and Bone", so I was hopeful. On the surface, the 2 stories would seem to have little in common, but are similar at their core. Dark, damaged, quirky, real and beautiful are themes for both. But back to The Sisters Bros. I'd planned to reread Dewitt's book before seeing the film, because I actually recalled very little of it, but knew I loved it (no reflection on the book, but rather, likely due to the stress of deaths and loss in my life the year I read it). That the story was able to engage me at all during that time speaks well of it. Much less that it left me longing for a well-told movie. I get that adaptation is tricky. So many little things were changed that made no sense to me. Not for the better. And a couple of big ones that would definitely be spoilers. I know - so cliche for the lover of a book to be disappointed in a film adaptation - but I can rattle off so many that did not disappoint (To Kill A Mockingbird, The Color Purple,...). Some scenes I recalled from the book so fondly, that were inexplicably missing. Terribly missed. One was a second short, sweet encounter between Eli and a bookkeeper. Not the added brief weird role-play scene portrayed earlier w/ the sympathetic prostititute at Mayfield's, but it would've been lovely to have enjoyed those few moments of tenderness, hope, and joy for Eli, as he accompanied a kindred lonely soul on the makeshift 2x4 boards crisscrossing muddy streets, while she smiled and even giggled. The last appearance of the mysterious Commodore was altered. Why? And finally, returning to their childhood home made perfect sense to me after having their minds opened to new ideas and surviving all. I thought it was purposely lit to look magical, just as they might first see it. Or were they dreaming, or dead? I loved the cast, and might not have minded some surprising choices if only they'd stuck to the better points of the book, great and small. I came home, reread the book, and preferred it.

I went for the great cast, and had very low expectations - just not low enough. I honestly don't know how these 4 brilliant actresses spoke those lame lines and could live with themselves. It was no better written than 50 Shades of Gray. Both were just awful in that regard - the most important factor. Wish I'd stayed away, cuz it most certainly marred some excellent track records. And wish I could forget how awful it all was. Good people wasted, but they should've known better.