HILARY AND JACKIE (1998) - Movie Review

Director: Anand Tucker
Starring: Emily Watson, Rachel Griffiths, James Frain, David Morrissey, Charles Dance, Celia Imrie
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Writer: Frank Cottrell Boyce
Runtime: 121 min
Rated: Rated R for language and sexuality
Buy This Movie: DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

Iris Du Pré (Celia Imrie) inspires a love of music -- and a healthy rivalry -- in her daughters, Hilary (Rachel Griffiths) and Jackie (Emily Watson). Cellist Jackie outshines her flutist sister when her skillful playing lands her in the international spotlight. Meanwhile, Hilary builds a quiet but happy family life. When Jackie buckles under mounting pressures in the high-stress world of elite classical musicians, she turns to Hilary for help, and may put her sister's love to the test.

Review:

"Hilary and Jackie" seems like a forgotten movie today, and it's a shame. Directed by Anand Tucker ("Shopgirl", "Leap Year") and based on an intriguing true story, the film sets itself apart from the usual docudrama approach, and perhaps the Oscars should have shown it a little more love instead of throwing their golden statuettes at the overrated "Shakespeare in Love".

The film is an intimate portrait of two sisters, driven by their love of classical music and sibling rivalry, both in love and in their careers. Their sisterhood, however, is an unshakable bond that they cannot escape, especially when their fates take a tragic turn. Perhaps it's a bit of a stretch, but the way their relationship is explored, and the depths of their attachment, reminded me a lot of David Cronenberg's "Dead Ringers", minus the really weird Cronenberg stuff, of course. And that's a good thing.

Tucker elegantly constructs the film's narrative, giving us a glimpse into the childhood of Hilary and Jackie, then splitting the story into two chapters, one for each sister, told from their respective perspectives. It's a nice touch that gives the characters their own distinct voice and helps us understand them better, while also acknowledging factual inaccuracies as a matter of perspective. I also appreciated how the music, cinematography, sound and editing all blend together to give the film an artistic style that helps elevate the narrative.

The central performances are, of course, the film's main driving force. Both Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths are flawless, and received Oscar nominations for their roles. Griffiths was nominated for supporting role, even though both actresses are the film's leads and share equal screen time, but I do understand that trying to get both nominated in the same category would have been a bad idea. Truth be told, Watson is the dominant force on-screen, inhabiting a more difficult and complex character than Griffiths, and she pulls it off beautifully. This is the kind of performance that is usually right up the Academy's alley, so I don't quite understand how Gwyneth Paltrow won the Oscar that year (yeah, I really hate "Shakespeare in Love").

"Hilary and Jackie" is not an inspiational feel-good story, so don't go in expecting an uplifting biopic, but it's well worth the effort because of its powerful and moving story that will leave a lasting impression.

SCORE: 8/10