May 25, 2012

The Virgin Suicides [1999]



The Virgin Suicides is a 1999 film, written and directed by Sofia Coppola, which tells the story of the Lisbon sisters who are sheltered and isolated from the world by their strict, religious parents (James Woods and Kathleen Turner).

I must say that I have never been a fan of Sofia- yes, her movies are visually beautiful and she always casts great actors, but often I am bored by her movies; some are too dreamy, some overly pretentious, some try to showcase real emotion, but leave me indifferent. "The Virgin Suicides", her first directorial effort, was the complete opposite and I was pleasantly surprised. She did a fantastic job of adapting an overlooked literature classic and turning it into a mesmerizing, moving film that in the end left me with goosebumps.

As I said before, the script follows a group of men recalling the tragic events from over 25 years ago that rocked the Lisbon house, a family that lived close to their home and with whom their were obsessed with. Among the 5 sisters, Cecilia, the youngest, was the first to go- her dreamy personality and her inability to interact with people her own age made her take her life. Her 4 remaining sisters (Lux, Bonnie, Mary and Therese), try to hold on and make new friends, all whilst their extremely restrictive parents still control every moment of their existence. This ultimately leads to a drastic punishment, as Lux comes home the morning after the prom- Mr and Mrs Lisbon are so frighten of might have happened, that they isolate the girls in their room, leading them, ultimately, to take the hardest, most dramatic ending.

For a first effort, both in writing and directing, The Virgin Suicides was remarkable. The script was interesting, showcasing the sisters, but making us understand what they were like from the others points of view, therefore still keeping a touch of mystery over their situation. Visually, it was beautiful- the way it was shot, the cinematography, the editing, the random dreamy sequences, all fit together wonderfully. The score and the soundtrack are also standouts that help the movie move forward and create tension.

That last scene, when Lux looks over her shoulder to the young men waiting outside her door and the chilling discovery of the girls and retelling of facts about that last night was incredibly moving and it gave me goosebumps.

Casting wise, as always, Coppola gets it right (I am sure it doesn't hurt that her father is named Francis Ford, either, especially for a first feature film). Kirsten Dunst is amazing as Lux, portraying a not so perfect, but oh so sensual and crazy-mysterious girl who seems to be the most outspoken and relaxed of all the girls. Josh Hartnett, as the young man who falls in love with her, creates good chemistry with Dunst, having a very palpable, sensual, yet naive interaction with her. The other 4 girls, all blonde and with similar build, are easy to distinguish physically, but hard to understand on a personal level, as they don't get the same amount of attention from the script or the director. A little mention goes to AJ Cook, playing Mary, as I know her from Criminal Minds, a great TV show that I sometimes watch.

The Virgin Suicides is a fantastic movie, that will definitely go into my list of shocking, moving, chilling features, right up there with Hard Candy or We need to talk about Kevin. It was particularly sad and unnerving to see those girls take such a difficult way out of the situation they were in and I saw myself wondering, for a while after it finished, why did they do that? The first logical answer, for me at least, was the fault of the parents- their strict, isolated way of protecting the young women made them feel "choked" and in need of escaping, but I think it's more than that. I would like to think there is more than that because if there wasn't, than the idea of having kids is even more scary now. To think that Mrs Lisbon has to carry on her shoulder the deaths of all her 5 children is something I don't wish for anyone.

13 comments:

  1. Great review. This is my favourite directorial debut of all time. It's fantastic. It's mesmerizing and weird and beautiful.
    Dunst is amazing and god Trip Fontaine's intro is one of my most favourite scenes of all time.
    Glad you liked it :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, that intro was great, it reminded me of the 80s movies!

      Delete
  2. Great review! This is a terrific movie based upon a book that's just as good. One of those few instances were the film is every bit as enjoyable as the book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Alex, nice to have you around! I haven't read the book, but as you can see, I liked the movie :)

      Delete
  3. I honestly forgot how shocking and, yes, chilling this movie is until reading your review. I'm really glad you liked it, seeing as how you don't like S. Coppola's other work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This kind of made me reconsider some of her movies- I'm thinking of (re)seeing Lost in Translation soon

      Delete
    2. My favorite of hers is (by far) Somewhere, which is very very polarizing, but boy, I just love it.

      Delete
  4. Great review!! I really love this movie it has this enchanting quality about it and Dunst was unforgettable in this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, she was, a great performance by miss Dunst- she is a great actress, no matter what people say!

      Delete
  5. Being a Sofia fan and expert of sorts, I always consider this to be her most accessible work to date. It's the film of her work I often suggest to start with. Though I do think Lost in Translation and Somewhere are better films. I would tell everyone to start with The Virgin Suicides.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe I should have started by that :) like I said before, I might giver her another shot and see again Lost In Translation- this made me reconsider

      Delete
  6. I watched this recently, too. I liked it, though I had a few issues - namely the justification for the parents' decision to entrap their daughters never being explained. But i thought it was a stunning film to look at, and the performances were excellent, and it was hypnotic and chilling without ever feeling heayy-handed. I love Lost in Translation (one of my 100 fav. films) and I continue to be impressed by Sofia's work. Great review, Diana!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I understand where you're coming from with the justification, that bugged me, too, since it was somehow implied that it was their fault the girls committed suicide. I really need to see Lost in Translation soon :) Thanks Andy!

      Delete