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Review

Amidst the dense verbiage that is the constant exposition embedded in the script for The Sisters, we find the unfolding and enlightenment of the psychological structure of the three women living in the shadow of their deceased father. Marcia (Maria Bello), Irene (Erika Christiansen), and Olga Prior (Mary Stuart Masterson) vie for viable identities in this theatrical update to Anton Chekhov’s, “Three Sisters”. A lone brother, Andrew (Alessandro Nivola), wanly tries for attention along with his tony fiancé, Nancy (Elizabeth Banks). Taking place in Manhattan College, the main action occurs in the faculty lounge where Professors Gary Sokol (Eric McCormack) and David Turzin (Chris O’Donnell) compete for Irene. When Professor Turzin wins her, the rage and misanthropy deep withing Sokol rises to the surface, sending destructive waves of anger into the environment. An unhappily married Marcia enters into a steamy affair with a former teaching assistant, Vincent (a grimly determined Tony Goldwyn).

The sisters are tragically linked to their deceased father; Marcia bound forever with hatred caused by abuse, Olga by neglect and Irene, too young to remember or be hurt by him, fed a glorified and unrealistic persona by her siblings. Although the script is, as mentioned above, dense to the point of complete opacity, the cinematography bound to the conventions of the staged play, the acting is all above average and convincing. Kudos to a perfectly matched ensemble cast.

 -- Max Brinck