cult film freak: REVIEW OF THE SKELETON TWINS

Written by James M. Tate / 9/29/2014 / 1 Comment / 2014 , bill hader , indie , kristen wiig , luke wilson , quirky

REVIEW OF THE SKELETON TWINS

9/29/2014 | 1 Comment

2014 rating: **1/2

Begins somewhat like LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE without the little miss, and not much sunshine as Bill Hader’s Milo, a gay melancholy Los Angeles "actor", attempts suicide in his bathtub…

He winds up living in New York with his twin sister Maggie, played by fellow ex SNL alumni Kristin Wiig, who, after gaining immense cinematic popularity in BRIDESMAIDS, has been doing the quirky/indie shuffle ever since.

THE SKELETON TWINS reverses what used to be the jovially cliché homosexual character, and makes the straight guy more of the smiley cookie cutter. Although Luke Wilson’s abysmally average Lance, married to Maggie, is peripheral to the story of the siblings, either discussing their gloomy childhood or dealing with present doldrums.

Hader and Wiig are far more interesting than the breezy script, gift-wrapping manic depression for a sophisticated date flick audience. And while it’s not funny enough to be a comedy, and not serious enough for a drama dealing with loneliness and suicide, there’s a genuine heart beneath the surface: where both TWINS remain despite a cursed depth plaguing them.

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Tags : 2014 , bill hader , indie , kristen wiig , luke wilson , quirky

James M. Tate

1 comment:

rspungDecember 5, 2014 at 7:53 AM
Hi, just finished watching the movie and I am having trouble with what caused the falling out for ten years. Their father's suicide? If so, it seems like that would bring them closer together rather than splitting apart.

They had a big argument at 15 about the affair he had with his teacher, but I don't think that was it. It was too early in their lives.
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