Pauline and Paulette

Product Description Pauline is a 'little girl of 66 years old'. She is mentally handicapped and been cared after by hersister, Martha. When Martha dies, her two younger sisters, Paulette and Cecile, have to make a decision on the best place for Pauline to be looked after. Neither of them is ready to take care of her.According to Martha's last will, her fortune will only be divided in three equal parts if one of the sisters looks after Pauline. If they decide to take her to an institution, Pauline will be the only heir. Amazon.com As a rule Flemish-language films rarely make much of an international impact, but Pauline & Paulette is a refreshing exception. Director Lieven Debrauwer's debut is an affectionate coming-together of two sisters: the mentally restricted Pauline, living in a world of flowers and fantasy, and Paulette, her life occupied with lingerie and operetta. The story focuses on the exasperation of Pauline as she is shunted between provincial Belgium and Brussels and the realization of Paulette, having retired to the coast, that a sister in her life might not be a bad option after all. The interplay between veteran actresses Dora van der Groen and Ann Petersen is minutely observed in detail, with the remaining cast a triumph of ensemble acting, not least Rosemarie Bergmans as the sophisticated "other sister" Cecile and Idwig Stéphane as the pompous Albert. At just 72 minutes, the film is almost too taut for its own good, but if this was Debrauwer's way of avoiding the sentimental, so much the better. Witty and touching in equal measure, this is a film to savor. --Richard Whitehouse