A Twin Triumph production. (International sales: Preferred Content, Santa Monica.) Produced by Marc Smolowitz, Andrew Byrnes. Executive producer, Chris Kelly. Directed by Marc Smolowitz.
With: Anabel "Ana" Stenzel, Isabel "Isa" Stenzel Byrnes, Hatsuko Stenzel, Andrew Byrnes, Anna Modlin, Kristin Dorn, Mitsutoshi Ambe, Trent Wallace, Doni Bell.
In "The Power of Two," the would-be gripping story of Ana and Isa Stenzel, twin sisters with cystic fibrosis, gets rendered in the relentlessly inspirational style of a feature-length PSA by documaker Marc Smolowitz. Recipients of double lung transplants on account of a terrible disease for which there's no known cure, the thirtysomething sisters are rarely if ever shown in terms that fail to highlight their indomitable strength, patience, compassion, optimism and grace. Though it's far better suited to the educational video market than the theatrical one, "Power" nonetheless lacks the force that even a purely medical portrait could provide.
That nearly every moment of the docu represents a spiritual epiphany not only proves cringe-inducing over time, but severely undercuts any sense of urgency around the sisters' activist attempts to increase the rates of organ donation in the U.S. and Japan. Inspired by the sisters' like-titled tome, "The Power of Two" follows the Stenzels on their extensive book tour in addition to documenting their transplant surgeries, marriages and shared rituals such as blowing bubbles through plastic wands at sunset. Tech credits are as smooth as the pic's lite-pop musical selections.
Camera (color, HD), Nickolas Rossi; editors, Matthew Sultan, Thomas Eugene Green; music, Kyle Moorman, Tim Easton; music supervisor, Nicole Dionne; art director, Timothy Palmer. Reviewed on DVD, Minneapolis, Aug. 14, 2011. (In DocuWeeks.) Running time: 94 MIN.
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