Review of Heavenly Creatures (1994) by Nikkia L — 02 Jul 2011

Heavenly Creatures is Peter Jackson's (of The Lord of the Rings fame, fortune and glory) BEST film! Before Mr. Jackson was a multi (3 of em!) Academy Award winning filmmaker (IMO for the "least good" -- I couldn't honestly use the word "worst" here -- film of the LOTR trilogy), he was already an Oscar nominee for this movie.

HC is a very small independent New Zealand film that few outside of the movie meccas of Los Angeles and New York City saw, knew about, or had access to upon its original release in 1994. Heavenly Creatures contains very-grim, difficult subject matter that is perhaps all-the-more troublesome because it was based on a startling 1954, real-life event.

It is a compelling, mesmerizing, bone-chilling, stunning and astonishing piece of film that I must say is one of the best I have ever seen (and I have seen A LOT of movies). The film is about two highly imaginative and intelligent teenage girls, Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme (played by two actresses making their glorious feature film debuts: the great Melanie Lynskey [Up In the Air, Sweet Home Alabama, Ever After] and a sensational Kate Winslet [Titanic, Sense & Sensibility, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind] in a captivating, a-star-is-born performance) who's intense, potent friendship draws deep concern from both sets of parents (and for good reason .

.. ask Mrs. Parker!). The girls saw themselves as "heavenly creatures" who, alone, were able to enter into a magical realm -- the Fourth World -- populated by beings (Kings, Queens, Princes, roguish knaves and giant butterflies) of their own creation.

New Zealand was shocked and stunned by what came from this friendship that was going to be terminated as Juliet was going to be forced to leave New Zealand (with her father) and live with relatives in South Africa (as he returned to their native England).

Actual diary entries of Pauline's help construct and recreate the horrific sequence of events that lead to the gruesome climax of the film that takes place in a peaceful and serene Christchurch city park.

The scene is both visually and audibly unforgettable: it is a beautifully sequenced/choreograped descent (in more ways than one) into a park valley by three individuals that is scored by Puccini's slow and innocent, beautifully enchanting The Humming Chorus that hypnotizes the viewer until it is marred by a crunch, a blood-curdling groan and several more crushing blows.

I have never seen a film like this before (it is beautiful, imaginative, grisly, unsettling and dark) -- and it is awe-inspiring (at the artistic-level) knowing of the talent found in front of and behind the camera.

Heavenly Creatures is a divine 76 out of 10. It is most definitely NOT a movie for all audiences; but for those who enjoy film (real film lovers) it must not be missed.