A Fable on Sisterhood’s Subtleties

Only 78 minutes long, “Pauline & Paulette” doesn’t make any great statements or come to any grand conclusions. In fact, it barely comes to a conclusion at all. Still, this beguiling Belgian fable, very much its own droll and delicate little film, has some touching things to say about what is important in life and why.

The feature debut of director and co-writer Lieven Debrauwer, “Pauline & Paulette” was a word-of-mouth favorite at Cannes’ prestigious Director’s Fortnight last year, when it won the audience award. The film also took five Plateau Awards (Belgium’s version of the Oscars) and offers a memorable role for Dora van der Groen, one of that country’s most celebrated actresses.

She plays Pauline, a simple-minded woman of middle years who lives in a small town with her sister Martha (Julienne De Bruyn). Unable to butter her bread and needing a fork-spoon outline drawn on the oilcloth to set the table, Pauline considers an untied shoelace to be a major crisis.

Still, Pauline has her routines, the things she enjoys doing. Most of all, she loves flowers. Sleeping with a watering can next to her bed, Pauline begins compulsively watering as soon as she gets up. Sometimes she’ll run a small errand for Martha in town, doddering around with a child-like lurch. “Leave Paulette alone,” Martha screams at Pauline as she heads off, but this is not to be.

For Pauline is completely fixated on Paulette (Ann Petersen), intoxicated with the perceived glamour of her life. In reality, Paulette is simply another sister, irritable and overweight, who runs a fabric shop and stars in local operettas, but to Pauline she’s as magical and irresistible as an enormous rose.

Pauline beams whenever she’s in Paulette’s presence, and no one ever took as much pure joy in a piece of paper as she does in Paulette’s rose-patterned gift wrap.

Paulette, for her part, does not return Pauline’s interest. Not even close. She views her sister as a pest, someone who is forever touching things that shouldn’t be touched and making her customers uncomfortable.

One of the distinctive things about “Pauline & Paulette” is that, far from making Pauline into the expected font of goodness and natural virtues, the film is sympathetic to Paulette and completely understands that Pauline can be quite a handful.

Engagingly played by Van der Groen, Pauline often comes off as nothing so much as a stubborn, willful child, not malicious but something of a menace nevertheless. She’s absolutely determined to get what she wants when she wants it, whether it be someone to cut her food or a glimpse of Paulette at the operetta. When she says, “Don’t want to,” she can be quite a chore to budge.

“Pauline & Paulette’s” action begins when Martha suddenly dies, or, as Pauline puts it after the hearse leaves, “Martha gone in a big car.”

At this point, fourth sister Cecile (Rosemarie Bergmans), who lives in Brussels, materializes for heated discussions with Paulette about Pauline’s future.

Neither Cecile, busy with her French boyfriend (Idwig Stephane), nor Paulette, busy with her operettas, wants the burden of caring for their sister. Paulette suggests a home, but Martha’s will stipulates that one of the sisters must look after Pauline if all of them are to share in her estate.

Both sisters, as the film develops, take turns trying to cope with Pauline, and both have difficulties that are poignant as well as amusing. What happens ultimately is subtle and satisfying, a tribute not only to the cast’s skill, but to Debrauwer’s understanding that life’s choices may not be obvious or easy, but, with luck, even difficulties can be worked out in the end.

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MPAA rating: PG for brief language. Times guidelines: completely genteel.

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“Pauline & Paulette”

Dora van der Groen...Pauline

Ann Petersen...Paulette

Rosemarie Bergmans...Cecile

Idwig Stephane...Albert

Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics. Director Lieven Debrauwer. Producer Dominique Janne. Screenplay Lieven Debrauwer, Jacques Boon. Cinematographer Michel Van Laer. Editor Philippe Ravoet. Costumes Erna Siebens. Music Frederic Devreese. Art director Hilde Duyck. Running time: 1 hour, 18 minutes.

In limited release.