Date: Fri 16-Apr-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: SARAH

Quick Words:

Hilary-Jackie-Playing-film

Full Text:

NOW PLAYING: "Hilary And Jackie" Is Blessed With Oscar-Worthy Performances

By Trey Paul Alexander III

Those of us with brothers and/or sisters know a little something about sibling

rivalry. Whether it's racing to the bus stop to see who's fastest or comparing

your latest report cards, even the closest of relatives experience some form

of contention. For Hilary and Jackie du Pre, the struggle began early, with

Hilary, the flutist, coming out of the gates with the early lead and garnering

the vast majority of attention and awards during their childhood. Yet

ultimately, the musical prodigy of the family would be Jackie, an English

cellist of a dynamic, energetic style matched only by her own flamboyant

personality.

In Hilary and Jackie, now playing at Bethel Cinema, we learn that although

there was certainly a level of competition between the two sisters, they were

more centrally driven by a deep-rooted emotional bond they shared. Their ties

were so great that they claimed to be able to communicate without the use of

speech: in a notable sequence, as one sister finishes the other's thoughts,

they come off less as gifted musicians and more like Jedi knights! But the

strength of their bond is tested when Hilary chooses a different life --

marriage and domesticity -- than that of her increasingly famous and

jet-setting sister. Things become further complicated when it becomes known

that Jackie, already ailed by emotional instability, is also beset by a

degenerative muscular disorder that would eventually cut short her promising

career and her life.

Director Anand Tucker is blessed to have two sensational performances around

which to mold his film. As Jackie, the bright-eyed, emotive Emily Watson was

justly nominated for an Oscar, and co-star Rachel Griffiths was equally worth,

though the Academy saw fit to instead name her in its supporting actress

category. (I guess any nomination is better than none.) Watson's spirited

portrayal captures the idiosyncrasies of the artist, a high-flying star

burning bright yet secretly yearning for something, anything, to keep her

grounded. Griffith's more subtle work conveys the contentment of a soul

longing for, and finding, a simpler life. Their interplay alone makes Hilary

and Jackie worth viewing, but, as aided by screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce,

Rucker seeks to gild the lily by using the storytelling conceit of portraying

the same events twice (first from Hilary's point of view, then from Jackie's),

hoping to give a more rounded perspective on the sisters and their

relationship.

This approach works at times, an example of which is an occasion when Jackie,

on tour in another country, sends home her laundry. Her family, eagerly

awaiting a parcel containing news about her trip and well-being, are

noticeably crestfallen when all they receive are bundles of dirty clothes.

Yet, when shown the seemingly self-centered deed from Jackie's perspective, we

see a lonely, isolated musician whose desire for home is so strong that when

she receives a return package of crisply laundered clothes, she engulfs

herself in its contents, spreading the garments across her bed because their

scent reminds her of the familiar.

However, no narrative device can soften or explain Hilary's actions when later

she convinces her husband to sleep with Jackie, who at one point is feeling

particularly vulnerable and unloved. The sisters may be close, but Hilary's

actions -- lending your husband? -- are inexplicable, except maybe to disclose

the lengths to which she'll go to find any way to help Jackie when she calls

out for her help.

Hilary and Jackie is rated R for rough language and the above-mentioned sexual

subject matter. The picture may have its bumpy moments, but is central

performances are rich and smooth.