FILM REVIEW: 'The Skeleton Twins'

The hilarious alums from "Saturday Night Live," Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader star in the new film "The Skeleton Twins." But don't expect having your funny bone endlessly tickled. Both get deep into character as two damaged siblings desperately trying to navigate life's disappointments.

The film opens with Milo (Hader) and sister, Maggie (Wiig), simultaneously attempting suicide. Their failed efforts bring the estranged twins together after not having spoken with one another for ten years. She flies to California and convinces Milo to come back with her to their hometown in upstate New York where she lives with upbeat hubby, Lance (Luke Wilson).

Dubbed "the gruesome twosome" by their father who was successful at killing himself years back, the two muddle through their regretful pasts. Maggie's been slutting around during her marriage and secretly taking birth control pills. Milo, who at 15 years old was involved in a scandalous affair with his English teacher (Ty Burrell), is trying to rekindle that "relationship."

All of that aside, there some wickedly funny scenes which serve to counter balance the numerous heartbreaks. Director-writer, Craig Johnson ("True Adolescents"), masterfully injects some rollicking material, providing some soothing comic relief. A scene in which Milo and Maggie get high on nitrous oxide at her workplace is laugh-out-loud goofy. And an epic lip-syncing duet by the twins to Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" is, in itself, a reason to see this endearing film.

It's a joy to watch these perfectly matched actors who obviously have tremendous chemistry. Writhing through life's hardships, they bring out the best and worst in their character's psyches. Both Wiig and Hader give unexpectedly spectacular performances.

"The Skeleton Twins" is a brutally honest (and funny) film about two people whose lives have gone so wrong. But it's also about picking up the pieces and moving forward with help from someone whom you least expected to be on board.