DVD Review – The Skeleton Twins (2014)
After establishing themselves as two of America’s best modern comedic actors – Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader are now playing the damaged brother and sister who find each other, despite 10 years of not talking, after both attempting suicide. As bleak as that sounds, the pair manage to pull it off with brilliant improvisations and great chemistry.
Craig Johnson’s sophomore film (after the mildly-successful True Adolescents in 2009), which won a Screenwriting award at the 2014 Sundance Festival, follows Milo and Maggie (Hader and Wiig), two estranged twins who are unhappy with their lives. Milo is a failed actor living in LA who recently broke up with his boyfriend, driving him to attempt suicide; and Maggie is unhappy, despite her ‘perfect’ life, with her good-guy husband, Lance (Luke Wilson) and a nice house in New York. In the opening scene, Milo’s decision to end his life is juxtaposed with Maggie’s contemplation of the same fate implying that, despite their 10 years of not talking, they are still very similar – both missing something in their lives. Maggie is suddenly brought out of her woeful reflection by a phone call from the hospital her brother has been admitted into. After she convinces the reluctant Milo to stay with her in New York as he recovers, it becomes clear that the rebuilding of their relationship is what they needed to complete themselves. The film is reminiscent of the more recent ‘Cake’ starring Jennifer Aniston, flirting with themes of suicide and unhappiness, while the comedic elements truly hold the film together.
Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader are extremely believable as brother and sister, and bounce off each other as comedians. This film marks one of their many partnerships; their other memorable collaborations being Adventureland and various sketches on Saturday Night Live. Director, Craig Johnson, encouraged constant improvisation on set from the leading actors, which leads to some fantastic moments (and a number of funny scenes that didn’t make the final cut in the DVD’s special features) and develops the idea of long-lost twins finally reconnecting. Wiig has the incredible ability to play every comic character with some kind of underlying struggle – Maggie has an undertone of desperation and despair, wondering why she is not happy with her ‘perfect’ normal life.
The supporting characters are very well-cast, with Luke Wilson excelling as the peppy, manly husband of Maggie who you can’t help but sympathise with as Maggie begins to stray; and Modern Family’s Ty Burrell as an ex-lover of Milo. Burrell pulls off his character of the borderline-sordid closeted homosexual with an unusual sensitivity, as his past with Milo becomes apparent.
The film’s original music is performed by former punk-rocker Nathan Larson, who has also worked on films such as Boys Don’t Cry and Margin Call. His typical indie-flick sounding composition manages to accentuate the bleakness of certain situations, but becomes hopeful as the film draws to its close. There is a great choice of music throughout the film, with the twins lip-syncing to ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’, and Maggie’s ironically upbeat ringtone of the ‘Growing Pains’ theme that snaps her out of contemplating suicide.
The editing, done by Jennifer Lee, keeps the film’s pace, ensuring that each joke is perfectly timed and contrasts with the scenes of drama, keeping the film very watchable throughout. If it wasn’t for the appropriately placed comedic element, the film would be at risk of being overly miserable.
It appears that toys are used as subtle symbolism throughout – with small skeleton figurines referencing the twins’ fragility and scarring relationship with their father, and a small whale model as a symbol of Milo’s relationship with a former taboo lover. The writers’ (Craig Johnson and Mark Heyman) recurring theme of playthings also underlines the rather childish relationship Milo and Maggie share, possibly due to their stunted childhood.
Whilst the brother/sister dynamic is a very common one in indie-flicks, the Skeleton Twins does it with a unique flair, avoiding certain clichéd lines and story arcs, leading to a very enjoyable watch with some great performances and one-liners.
The DVD release of The Skeleton Twins features a number of special features, such as audio commentaries, outtakes, gag reels, and deleted scenes. The film is available on DVD from the 16th March.
[rating=5]
Jenn Spiers
Genre: Comedy, Drama Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Ent DVD Release Date: 16th March 2015 (UK)Rating: 15 Director:Craig Johnson Cast: Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell
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