I don’t know
what I enjoyed more—the wonderful chemistry between Tina Fey and Amy Poehler or
the bowl full of laughs I had while watching this movie. I will say from the
start of this review, do not go and see this hoping to fall on the ground
laughing. This is one of those movies that is best seen at home.
This late 2015
comedy is one that might slip past many people who’ve been glued to the hype
around Disney’s Star
Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). Like Tarantino’s complaint
about The
Hateful Eight (2015) suffering because cinemas prioritized Star
Wars, I’m guessing many late 2015 movies were overlooked, even if they came out
just days before The
Force Awakens.
Sisters is
a comedy written by Paula Pell (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, and Bridesmaids (2011)).
Pell has worked with Fey and Poehler on Saturday Night Live and with
Fey on 30 Rock. While Pell’s story isn’t groundbreaking, the movie
delivers if you’re just looking for a good laugh. Fey and Poehler’s chemistry
is so strong that everyone else in the movie feels almost irrelevant—they’re
the only ones worth watching in this comedy.
The movie
introduces the two leads in their natural habitats. We see Maura (Amy Poehler)
trying to control and fix the lives of her sister and parents. Then there’s
Kate (Tina Fey), who’s shown as irresponsible and not mature enough to be a
parent—even though she is one.
The pair
receives surprising news from their parents, who want to sell their house and
have asked their daughters to come clear out their old rooms. Both sisters
decide to throw one last party as a farewell to the house, but for different
reasons. Maura agrees to the party to loosen up a little, while Kate agrees
because she wants to ruin her parents’ plans to sell the house.
Also in the
movie are James Brolin and Dianne Wiest (playing Bucky and Deana Ellis), who
you might recognize as a couple from the TV sitcom Life in Pieces on
CBS. Other notable appearances include Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids (2011))
and John Cena (yes, the wrestler).
For me, this is a good movie to watch. It’s a vulgar comedy, though, so you might want to leave the kids at home. While it wasn’t a box office smash (not surprising), it received moderate to positive reviews from critics, so if you home try catching it on TV.
