Hilary och Jackie

Hilary and Jackie

It's the passion and commitment that makes artists such a tempting target for filmmakers, and artists with a fatal affliction are irresistible.

Hilary and Jackie is an extraordinary film about riding the tiger of genius, and how that cuts through conventional rules and invests the rider with special license.

Every subject that it touches on, from the love/rivalry relationship of sisters to the line between genius and madness to the price of celebrity, is handled flawlessly.

First-time feature director Tucker displays an astonishingly assured touch, allowing his phenomenal cast to creep into their characters' skins and surrounding them with images of shimmering and slightly threatening beauty.