MY SISTER’S KEEPER (USA 2009) **
Directed by Nick Cassavetes

What most surprising about MY SISTER’S KEEPER (besides the answer to the phrase) are the stunning performances from the cast despite the film’s sickly sweet ghastliness. 

Cameron Diaz as Sara, the mother who will stop at nothing to save sick daughter Kate (Sofia Vassailieva) excels as do most of the cast.  The story based on the book of the same name concerns Anna (Abigail Breslin) conceived in a test tube so that she can donate her parts to save sis Kate who is suffering from leukemia.  As the donation never stops, she seeks medical emancipation through a lawyer (Alec Baldwin) who works pro bono. 

As implied by the story, director Cassavetes, who directed the tearjerker THE NOTEBOOK) keeps the tears flowing non-stop.  Surprisingly, the film is different from the book which ends with more tears with the death of Anna in a car accident after a final organ donation.  Even so, enough is enough.  One can only look back in disappointment at what this film could have been – a dignified, respected and thought-provoking film about life’s choices and duty.  Instead Cassavetes’ film sinks into senseless melodrama. 

It does not help that the film takes on different voiceovers and shifts points of view from one character to another as if there is no tomorrow.  The oddest is the shift of voiceover to Baldwin as soon as his character appears – though the lawyer is in no way related to the Fitzgerald family.

The weirdest performance of the year (this deserves mention) belongs to Joan Cusack.  She plays a judge who suffers the trauma of a daughter killed in a drunken car accident.  Her performance would be top-notch except that she decides to keep twitching her face to indicate her mental state, a ploy obviously works more to annoy the audience.  Cusack has gotten into the habit with acting with her face in her recent films like WAR INC., and MARTIAN CHILD.

Director Cassavetes and scriptwriter Jeremy Leven should have taken lessons from Jason Patric (YOUR FRIENDS & NEIGHBOURS).  He plays his role subtly till the very end where he lets go one huge outburst, making his point heard loud and clear.  If only the film worked that way!