The Other Sister review

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Hated Forrest Gump? Sick to the stomach of schmaltzy rom coms? Fed up being insulted by lazy, patronising film-makers? Then avoid The Other Sister like the Ebola virus, because it's the worst kind of `feelgood' Tinseltown tosh ever to bubble up through Hollywood's gullet.

"Slightly mentally challenged young woman" Carla (Lewis) falls in love with Danny (Ribisi), a similarly "challenged" young man. Carla's overbearing mother (Keaton) isn't sure this is a good idea, but Carla proves she can live like a `normal' person. This could be the basis for an okayish TV drama, but as a big-screen romance it fails in every way it possibly could.

Carla and Danny are treated in much the same way as cute kids on American sitcoms. Which means we're encouraged to laugh `with' (meaning `at') them, and go "aaaahhhh" when they do things like dress up as puppies and swans for a fancy dress ball, or deliver lines like: "I love you more than band music and cookie-making". It's so bad it's almost evil.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

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