The basic story involves Pauline (Dora van der Groen ) a mentally handicap woman in her 60's who is put in the care of her sister Paulette (Ann Petersen) when her other sister Martha dies. Because Paulette is busy by day with her dressmaking shop and opera singing at night she feels she doesn't have time to take care of Pauline. So she attempts to give her over to her other sister Cecile (Rosemarie Bergmans) .

Similar to such films as Rain Man and the Danish film Mifune this one also has a good amount of humor with pathos thrown in for good measure. And like those films at the center of it is an obvious moral lesson. Neither sister wants to sacrifice their life to take care of Pauline so they plan to take her to a care center. But when they both learn that they will receive no part of Martha's inheritance they have a change of heart and decide to attempt to take care of her anyway. In time Paulette takes over and realizes just how important her sister is in her life.

The film is not an easy sell due to its subject matter and because the lead actors are in their 60's. But the film has its heart in the right place and boasts some strong performances. Especially from Dora van der Groen who the director notes in the commentary track played her roll as a 60 year old kid. She does such a good job, in fact, that it is easy to assume that she is not acting.

It should be noted that the director Lieven Debrauwer made the film as a vehicle for both Ann Petersen and Dora van der Groen two of the most celebrated Belgian actresses neither of whom had ever been in a movie together before.

Video:
The film is presented in 1.85 to 1 and looks very good. The transfer brings out the strong set design colors that represent each sister: especially the reds that are used for Paulette's shop. Since the film was shot in 16mm the colors are not as bright as they can be. This is particularly noticeable in two of the scenes which were shot in 35mm.

Audio:
The audio is in Flemish Dolby Digital 5.1. There is no significant sound effects or music that benefits from the Dolby but it does lend the movie the proper level of sound to appreciate it in a good home theatre.

Extras:
The only noteworthy extra is An audio commentary track by director Lieven Debrauwer which is very good. He talks most of the way through giving us good anecdotes and just about everything he can remember regarding the production.

Overall:
Pauline and Paulette is a good film about the sacrifice that one sister must face when she is to care for her mentally challenged sister. It boasts a strong cast and a well-written script. The film treads a lot of the same ground we have come to expect from such stories. The DVD presentation is very good and worth a look if you want to see a competent European film.