Post by PTAhole on Jan 7, 2007 17:16:00 GMT -5
Dan wanted me to start a thread, so...
The Virgin Suicides (Sofia Coppola; 2000) (rewatch)
I had seen this film before, about a year ago now, and had enjoyed it. I believe I gave it a 9/10, and said I liked it, but not as much as Lost In Translation. Upon rewatching this movie (with Criterionmaster, who will hopfully post his thoughts soon), I have realized that not only do I like this more than Lost In Translation, but this is one of my favorite films of all time.
The film follows a group of boys, who obsess over the Libson sisters across the street. Cecilia, Lux, Bonnie, Mary, and Therese were each a year apart (13, 14, 15, 16, 17) and seemed to be adored by everyone in town. Cecilia, the youngest, commits suicide by jumping from her bedroom window onto a fencepost. This soon makes the girls very private, and the boys try to find any sort of info or memorabillia related to the girls.
While many of the characters are either cut-outs, or too distant to be very relatable, the narration carries the film higher. The boys aren't developed, but the film gives you a sense that you are one of those boys, and it makes you interested in these mysterious girls.
The acting is quite good, especially James Woods as the girls' father and Josh Hartnett (surprisingly) as Trip Fontaine, a boy who captures Lux's attention in the middle section of the film.
The script is very good, and the narration isn't cheesy, like it sometimes can be. The direction is stunning. The look of the film reminds me of old home movies, but it somehow manages to look very slick, as well.
The Virgin Suicides is one of those movies that is just so perfectly bittersweet. At the end I realize not just how sad and strange the whole situation was, but, surprisingly, who much fun is had along the way.
10/10
The Virgin Suicides (Sofia Coppola; 2000) (rewatch)
I had seen this film before, about a year ago now, and had enjoyed it. I believe I gave it a 9/10, and said I liked it, but not as much as Lost In Translation. Upon rewatching this movie (with Criterionmaster, who will hopfully post his thoughts soon), I have realized that not only do I like this more than Lost In Translation, but this is one of my favorite films of all time.
The film follows a group of boys, who obsess over the Libson sisters across the street. Cecilia, Lux, Bonnie, Mary, and Therese were each a year apart (13, 14, 15, 16, 17) and seemed to be adored by everyone in town. Cecilia, the youngest, commits suicide by jumping from her bedroom window onto a fencepost. This soon makes the girls very private, and the boys try to find any sort of info or memorabillia related to the girls.
While many of the characters are either cut-outs, or too distant to be very relatable, the narration carries the film higher. The boys aren't developed, but the film gives you a sense that you are one of those boys, and it makes you interested in these mysterious girls.
The acting is quite good, especially James Woods as the girls' father and Josh Hartnett (surprisingly) as Trip Fontaine, a boy who captures Lux's attention in the middle section of the film.
The script is very good, and the narration isn't cheesy, like it sometimes can be. The direction is stunning. The look of the film reminds me of old home movies, but it somehow manages to look very slick, as well.
The Virgin Suicides is one of those movies that is just so perfectly bittersweet. At the end I realize not just how sad and strange the whole situation was, but, surprisingly, who much fun is had along the way.
10/10
