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The Virgin Suicides | Year: 1999 Classification: Drama Directed: - Sofia Coppola Actors/Actresses: - Francis Ford Coppola - Kirsten Dunst - Danny Devito - Scott Glenn - Josh Hartnett - Giovanni Ribisi - Kathleen Turner - James Woods Haunting film, though not without its flaws Still an impressive directorial debut for Sofia Coppola (and adapted from the Jeffrey Eugenides book that I admittedly haven't read), I was somewhat disappointed by the often disjointed style of this movie. At times, THE VIRGIN SUICIDES had the feel of a Paul Thomas Anderson film with the occasional lazy edits and contrived dialogue; also a dash of David Lynch. I was also disappointed by the performances of James Woods and Kathleen Turner as the parents -- clearly these were disturbed parents, but their portrayals were shockingly remote and one dimensional. Come to think of it, much of the acting in this film felt dreamlike and a bit too flat -- partly intentional I'm sure ... but just how much? The first 2/3 of the movie satisfyingly built up the haunting mystique that I was expecting largely due to Kirsten Dunst's portrayal of the ravishingly enigmatic Lux Lisbon, but everything seemed to unravel after the high school dance sequence. I won't reveal any details, but suffice to say that it felt like a clumsy attempt to be overly "artsy". I think Sofia Coppola has serious potential however, and I think she can build on this experience. Excellent Adaptation From the Book I'm always cautious when it comes to watching movies adapted from books I've read. Such miserable failures as "The Beach" have forever left a bad taste in my mouth. The directors and writers are almost always simply to lazy to make their own stories, so they just take someone else's, slap some ridiculous plot changes onto it, and obviously don't have the slightest idea what the novel is really about. They end up with a pointless failure that should never have tried to bridge the gap between reading and watching. "The Virgin Suicides" is a startling exception to this rule, directed and written for screen with care and simple beauty by Sofia Coppola. She obviously understood this book, and has done a great job editing the book down to a 100 minute movie. She takes very few "artistic liberties" that other directors might have been much more heavy-handed on, and those she uses enhance the feeling of the film. For instance, after Cecelia kills herself, she re-appears several times, giving her a strange, continuing presence. Also, she enhances several symbolic moments in the film, such as the film Lux and Trip watch about Hurricanes, or when Trip visits the Lisbon house, the show they watch is an obvious metaphor. Over all, this is a stellar adoption of the novel, with a great cast, director, and script. A great follow up to reading to book. I've never been a 13 year-old girl In spite of my lack of qualifications--I'm a male and was 13 when Eisenhower lived in the White House--I would like to make a few comments about this movie. As I write this, more than 200 people have given plot summaries so I won't add one more. Buy The Virgin Suicides at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on The Virgin Suicides Search with the Priority Search Engine on The Virgin Suicides This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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