As High as the Sky

First-time writer-director Nikki Braendlin explores raw emotional territory in this intriguing but uneven independent production. Margaret (Caroline Fogarty), who has just broken up with her fiancé, retreats into an obsessive-compulsive disorder mania that revolves around maintaining her home. A new disruption arrives when her older sister, Josephine (Bonnie McNeil), unexpectedly shows up with her 10-year-old daughter, Hannah (Laurel Porter), for what seems to be an indefinite visit. Margaret does not easily adapt to Josephine and Hannah's personalities, and there is also the lingering issue of the sisters' difficult estrangement following their parents' death when Margaret was four and Josephine was 17 (Margaret was left in the care of her aunts; Josephine disappeared into a hippie lifestyle). Most peculiar here is the late-story inclusion of an exuberant pop star (Lainee Gram) who bonds with the petulant Hannah, creating a plot turn that frankly feels artificial. Still, the film is partially saved by Fogarty and McNeil, who deliver sincere performances that resonate with anguish and imagination. A strong optional purchase. (P. Hall)