Sweetie

Plot synopsis:
The film focuses on Kay's relationships with her boyfriend Louis, her parents and her emotionally unhealthy sister, Sweetie. Kay is quiet and superstitious, loving Louis because of the words of a fortune teller and experiencing deep foreboding towards a tree he attempted to plant in their yard. Sweetie, from Kay's perspective, is selfish in her severe mental illness. Kay's father chooses to ignore most of the erratic, childish behavior (though she has been hospitalized before) because he loves her as a little girl. Throughout, there are flashbacks of Sweetie dancing, singing and performing small, circus-like tricks with his assistance; he wants the family to remain close and dislikes when Kay acts enraged with Sweetie. The mother admits he indulges her. Louis, however, has found some freedom from his increasingly disconnected relationship with Kay because Sweetie lives uninhibited, with vigor and emotion (though extreme). Throughout, Sweetie's physically destructive nature (ruining Kay's clothes, breaking furniture) reflects the inner disruption she has caused her family. After a series of circular fights (variable rage and delusions, her family's forgiveness, proceeded by her sweetness and fun persona), she finally overextends the limit, stripping off her clothes, painting her body black and bouncing in her childhood tree house. Though her family begs her to come down, she refuses, continuing teasing, tormenting and shaking the fort until it falls from the tree, injuring her mother and killing Sweetie. The family appears resolved, no longer scattered. They no longer feel manipulated and agitated by her presence. However, the best of Sweetie's personality persists, as Kay and her parents maintain an image of her in her most accurate form, that of a little girl.

Tags: insanity, psychedelic

Review:
Saw this film a long time ago, but remember it like it was yesterday.
This film left a lasting impression on me from when I saw it aged about 15.
The super-ego is fraught with a sense of place in the world, and trying to make the best of the values it finds directly around it, and the id is a tangle of senses and memories, caught up in the deepest recesses of childhood.
It is not a fun film.
I must get a copy and watch it again, to see if it's like I remember it.
I thought that the acting, editing, dialogue and general sense of timing were totally bewitching.
For a week after watching this film I still felt as though I had returned home from a strange, alien world.
Quite a dark film that seems to lack the catharsis (or uplifting tones) of the later Campion's films.
The film concentrates on psychological problems of Kay, strange, detached young women which, seemingly calm and shy, is able to shamelessly steal a just-engaged man from his fiancee.
Kay's life with the boyfriend, however, turns out to be far from happy.
We do not know that until her younger sister Dawn, aka Sweetie, appears on the scene almost halfway through the film.
Dawn has apparently been a spoiled baby in the family.
The father even now speaks about her "talents", although he too must see that, in reality, she is a mentally handicapped person whose intellectual and emotional development has been arrested at the level of a 4-year old.
Sometimes she is charming, sometimes threatening, but, most importantly, she is uninhibited and free (among other things, free to act on her whims).
With the arrival of Dawn, Kay's great animosity towards her sister is immediately apparent.
Instead of help and compassion of a "normal" older sister she only offers criticism and open hatred.
Little by little we find what Kay wants: she wants to be Dawn.
Deep psychological analysis of abnormal relations between sisters reminds me of some Ingmar Bergman's works although "Sweetie" does not have the nordic broodiness..
The humour is what sets this film apart (as well as lush and particular style of framing/lighting) that makes the film world of "Sweetie" feel idiosyncratic, nightmarish and lurid.
Along with contemporary Australian classics "The Night The Prowler" "Strictly Ballroom" "Starstruck" and "The Cars that Ate Paris" this film was the innovator of what later became a formula for Australian funding models vis a vis...quirky.
This is one of the most hilarious movies I have ever seen that deals with such dark issues.
It focuses on two sisters, Dawn a.k.a.
" Sweetie" and Kay, who both (as we see it) struggle with their psychological health.
Kay seems somewhat conscious of, but at the same time unwilling to express her psychological problems.
Dawn, on the other hand, seems completely oblivious to the fact that she has problems, and seems to live her life freely and spontaneously.
We see the interaction between these characters as a struggle between stifling repression and an out-of-control, externally-destructive unleashing of feelings.
The film seems to reconcile these aspects until we reach some sort of balance at the end.While the film deals with these serious subjects, it is in no way (as far as I'm concerned) a depressing movie.
The actress who plays Sweetie is an established comedian and her comedic acting is hilarious and convincing.
Sweetie freely expresses herself, in ways that might seem childish to some, but are secretly ways we might like to act if it were accepted.
Her character tells us that it's possibly to be so free and unfettered and survive, up to a point.I love the scene where Sweetie's new, wasted "talent manager" boyfriend is taken to a cafe, by Sweetie's father, in order to get rid of him.
At this point the father tries to remove the boyfriend's coat, which is actually Louis's (Kay's husband), and which they have been trying to get him out of for a long time.
The boyfriend, still asleep, then falls to the floor dragging the contents of the table top with him, and ends splayed out on the floor in a baroque mess.There are numerous comedic scenes like the one above, that weave in and out of the movies' main issues (i.e. control of oneself).
Dawn's boyfriend, like Dawn (Sweetie), lacks control over his expression, in this case his actual, physical body.To add to these delights, the movie is beautifully, artfully  photographed and the sets are also artistically satisfying.
Campion's Brilliant Direction Works Again.
This film is one of the best films ever written and shot about the effects of mental illness on the psycho-dynamics of a family.
Shot with a strongly claustrophobic sense of misé-en-scene, the extended family of Louis, Mom, Dad, Kay and Sweetie always crowd and clutter the frame, unable to extricate themselves physically and emotionally from one another.
Geneviève Lemon's performance of a mentally ill young women (Sweetie/Dawn) sends chills up the spine of anyone who has worked with those who suffer like this.
Although it does contain some nudity and slight sexual content, the dramatic push of the film as a whole makes this an extremely moving film even for teenagers, especially for families who are coping with mental illness.
Campion's writing and above all her directing soars in this profound and compelling film..
Things couldn't get crazier.
"Sweetie" (Australian, 1989): Jane Campion is one of my favorite "newer" film makers.
(See "An Angel at my Table" if you like this one!) She has a unique vision on life, and most every aspect of the film is hers - from concept and writing to the directing.
"Sweetie" is the story of Kay, a highly neurotic young woman who is totally uncomfortable with the "everyday" world.
THEN her sister arrives - Sweetie, with a mystery man.
Australian filmmaker Jane Campion's unorthodox daydream of family ties will likely infuriate more people than it pleases, defeating expectations as easily as it defies casual analysis.
Describing it in any detail would only spoil the joy of discovery, for both the story and the idiosyncratic style of the film itself, which turns an already cockeyed domestic melodrama (introducing the oddball in-laws of an estranged young couple) into a sometimes grotesque but strangely compassionate portrait of sad, eccentric people living on the fringes of Down Under society.Campion challenges the viewer's perception of what is or isn't real, using a portentous, artfully composed visual scheme, emphasizing in every shot her eye for geometry and deadpan comic detail.
And then, mid-way through the story, along comes Sweetie herself to upset all the symmetry.
Her younger sister calls her "a dark force"; her father treats her (affectionately) as the child she'll always be to him; and her mother, out of exasperation, simply walks away from all the subsequent turmoil.
In a nutshell, Sweetie is the loose cannon in every family closet, and as played by newcomer Geneviève Lemon she's one of the more obscene and compelling characters ever to crash a movie scenario.
Her story is, by turns, tender, pathetic, amusing, ominous, totally unique, and just plain weird..
Restrained and never reaching for obvious sympathy, not interested in scoring easy points with viewers and featuring a truly extraordinary central performance, "Sweetie" is essential viewing for the serious film-goer.Fast-forward through the feminist empowerment bits which feature tree roots growing through concrete.
This foreshadowing of the impossibly artsy-pretentious Campion of "In the Cut" will leave you wanting to throw the remote at your television set.Stick with this one.
First of all, I loved how this film was wholly unapologetic.
It feels like the work of someone who's done what they wanted, without compromise.
While the film stands out as odd and, as such, interesting without knowing more about it, I feel that it could have gained by using more traditional work on the plot, a little like Wim Wenders did on "Paris, Texas", or by Gus van Sant's "Paranoid Park", which are both odd films where the somewhat straightforward plots worked wonders without taking away from the unusual contents.
Having said that, this film is filled with wonderful, everyday, never-before-seen imagery with wonderful human beings, a fresh view of presenting a film, photography where the object of a shot is rarely in the center of the image and a storyline that goes a bit all over the place - thank Bog for that.
All in all: recommendable, and gets better as the film progresses..
Jane Campion's first theatrical feature explores a dysfunctional family.
When it starts off with the eccentric and shy Kay (Karen Colston) falling in love with the handsome Louis (Tom Lycos), Jane Campion's 1988 film SWEETIE promises a romantic comedy.
When Kay's mentally ill sister Dawn (Genevieve Lemon) drops in, the film develops in a very different direction.
Some element of comedy, very black humour, remains but overall the film is a family tragedy.The tragedy is that this disturbed young woman nicknamed "Sweetie" is simultaneously a victim of her own illness and an unwilling aggressor against her family, who feign love and acceptance but clearly would like to do without her.
The strongest aspect of the film is Lemon's performance, one of the best screen portrayals of mental illness since Bergman's IN A GLASS DARKLY.
That said, I would not list "Sweetie" among my favourite films: it is overall well-made and memorable but not quite at the level of effusive praise..
Jane Campion tortures both her characters and the audience in this excruciatingly bad black comedy/drama about a - to say the least - dysfunctional family.
Comes off as a pretentious film school final project that reeks like a rancid cross-contamination between David Lynch and John Waters.
In bits, I detect fine cinematography, but even there, it's mostly shot in a way that casts long shadows over the scenes.
Jane Campion's Best Film.
Jane Campion's Best Film.
Based solely on a tea leaf reading, superstitious and introspective Kay believes she and Louis are destined to fall in love with each other, he who she is able to convince of the same despite he just having gotten engaged to her co-worker, Cheryl.
That destiny may change with the fortunes of what she sees as the next symbol of their relationship, a somewhat sickly elder tree Louis plants in their garden for their one year anniversary.This is Jane Campion's first feature, and her best.
Some might point to "Angel at my Table", but I personally thought that film was terrible.
"Sweetie" is funny, and has an interesting sense about it.
It is sort of like Wes Anderson lite, and one has to wonder if he didn't draw some influence from Campion..
An unbeatable gem for those with discerning film taste.
This film is very thoughtful and heartbreaking with unique characters you don't forget.
Visually it is rather astounding, especially for a first feature film.
This is a fantastic film.
This is a fantastic film.
Elements of this film are nightmarish and reminiscent of the work of David Lynch.
Campion successfully captures the emotions of the protagonist and the dislike she feels toward her sister, Dawn.
You can sense the hate/love relationship the family feels toward Dawn.
The most powerful scene in this film is at the end.
Overall this film is one of Campion's most original and interesting pieces of work..
And I thought my family....
This film was one of the strangest I've seen.
Once again I admire Campion's courage to take art in a variety of directions.
I was amazed by this film for no other reason than it's complete lack of boundaries.
"Sweetie" takes a long, sober, and plaintive look at the dregs of a splintered Aussie family with two adult daughters one of which is a brittle, simple-minded fat woman, the title character (Lemon).
An uneventful, plodding, and peculiar story and Campion brain fart, "Sweetie" offers little save peculiar heaped on peculiar ad nauseam.
Director Jane Campion once said in an interview that while she was writing "The Piano" she thought that before she made such an adult film like that she would make a smaller and more personal film.
So "Sweetie" is her most personal film and its about two sisters.
The film starts out about Kay (Karen Colston) who is a shy and somewhat dysfunctional woman who has her tea leaves read and is told to look for signs of love and see's them in her friends fiance'.
Somehow she manages to convince him to leave his fiance' and become her boyfriend.
Later in the film as the two live together (But no sex!) Kays sister Dawn (Genevieve Lemon) drops in and creates all sorts of havoc.
Dawn (AKA Sweetie) is also dysfunctional but mentally ill.
Shifts in moods and very erratic behavior dominate the last quarter of the film and its here that we can somewhat see that one of the reasons Kay doesn't get along with Dawn is because she is such a free wheeler and Kay is not.
Kay is jealous of this quality that Dawn possesses.
The film is very offbeat but also uneven.
Kays relationship with her boyfriend is curious.
I wish their could have been more scenes of Kay and Dawn together in a more coherent fashion but mostly its scenes of Kay reacting in frustration at her sisters antics.
I did like the way the film ended.
The ending seems to establish the overall drive of the film and its leaves a dramatic mark on the story.
Film is interesting to watch due to the fact that it was made a few years before "The Piano" so while die hard Campion fans will enjoy this more, the rest of you will have to depend on your open mind..
Sort of a watered-down John Waters-type movie, this Australian film is not for everyone's taste.
Talk about a dysfunctional family:  Kay is a cold fish who steals a man who just announced his engagement to someone else, all because of a fortune-teller.
"Sweetie", her younger sister, is a nymphomaniac, mentally unstable, selfish, and seemingly has the mind of a spoiled little brat.
Her parents try to act as if all is not as bad as it seems.
But life sucks in this family.
I wondered how, with two seemingly "normal" parents, these two girls ended up the way they did.
Usually I like Jane Campion.
The first 5 minutes seemed interesting especially the music, but as soon as the main character steals the boyfriends newly planted tree the picture quickly dies.
Yes Sweetie is somewhat key to the movie and it's titled after her, but showing 5-6 of her fits got to be too redundant..
Who's afraid of her Family Tree?.
The film is bizarre.
We're introduced to our main character through fragmented shots of her from her knees down, then of her face off-center, and of her feet while walking on cracked pavement.
We also see her walking the sidewalk past manicured bushes and trees, a shot that is repeated throughout the movie.While the opening credits are playing, we hear soulful music.
Then, the music stops and contrasts with the stark bleakness of shots that immediately make us feel off-center.
We are at the mercy of the cinematographer just as much as the narrator, waiting for them to divulge the story, a story for which we somehow know there is much to come.Immediately after the opening credits we are told by Kay, our narrator and protagonist, of her fear of trees.
In particular, the tree in the backyard of her parents' home where her sister was "princess;" she feared the roots of the tree would reach the house.
This tree is to serve as a metaphor for the entire film.The first few scenes lead us to believe this film is about romance and destiny as Kay visits a psychic who tells her about the man with a question mark on his forehead.
She finds the man and they begin their romance on the concrete floor of a parking garage.Tree Oblivious to Kay's fear of trees, the ever-innocent boyfriend plants a sapling in their backyard to commemorate their 13 month (I think) anniversary.
Their backyard, a barren ground full of cracks, is a reflection of Kay's soul.
She has kept herself unattached from others; the coworkers at work who mock her, her family and, after this tree incident, her boyfriend.
But this tree is an infestation on Kay's life.The sapling is a foreshadowing of Kay's loss of control as her sister, Sweetie, enters her home.
As soon as we meet Sweetie, she consumes the attention of all the characters.
The life and roots of the tree represent the evils of attention-seeking Sweetie and of Kay's broken childhood coming back to haunt her.Let's not give any more attention to Sweetie.There is something truly unique and charismatic about this film.
I didn't leave the film feeling as if the makers tried too hard; they didn't experiment for the sake of feeling like an art film.
They moved the story forward in ways that a simple plot unfolding could not have.
I watched Sweetie on the recommendation of a friend infuriated by Breaking the Waves; she had in turn received this recommendation from a high school friend of mine who I introduced to weed, and who then lived in Korea for too many years.
Sweetie could have been weirder.
Main character Kay gets her tea leaves read alongside her psychic's aphasic son.
Kay flips out over the particularly dreary leaves of a tree her boyfriend has decided to plant smack dab in the center of their driveway.
Sadly, most of the film's oddities are eventually subdued by a fairly neat and orderly story, which even provides a nice family backdrop to explain away the quirks of sisters Kay and Sweetie.
I would still recommend watching this for its striking visual palette and the fact that the aforementioned psychic's spastic son is never explained.