The Unspeakable Act

A fascinating drama that brings to mind J.D. Salinger's short stories about the Glass family, The Unspeakable Act adds a psychological complication to a familiar tale about a closely-bonded brother and sister. Seventeen-year-old Jackie (Tallie Medel) has an enormous emotional dependence on her older brother, Matthew (Sky Hirschkron), who loves his sister but is more wary of any incestuous possibilities. Living in a fatherless home with a somewhat detached, introverted mother and a restless sister, Jackie and Matthew spend many private moments together, asking each other probing questions. The sexual vibe between them is always on the surface but is rarely acknowledged; rather, the dominant emotion for Jackie is closer to grief since Matthew is spending his final summer at home before going off to college. Writer-director Dan Sallitt concentrates on Jackie's bumpy transition to a life less-defined by her relationship with Matthew, one pulling her toward a new freedom that she doesn't necessarily want. Losing her virginity to a random boy and entering psychotherapy around the same time, Jackie seems disengaged yet also open to new, uncertain challenges. Sallitt's quirky, intelligent character study deftly captures a period in which adolescents practice at adulthood before adulthood actually arrives. Recommended. (T. Keogh)