Review of The Virgin Suicides (2000) by Peter L — 11 Dec 2009
A really stellar debut from Sofia Coppola. The story is a little odd (not necessarily a bad thing), but the direction is strong. Coppola has a really unique vision, and somehow she manages to find a lot of humour in a really grim story.
The performances were generally strong (James Woods in particular finds a lot of honesty in a surprisingly engrossing character), but what really impressed me about this film was how perfectly it evoked the feeling of being a teenager.
It was able to capture that time towards the beginning of high school where your problems are the biggest problems, and your hormones are raging. I felt that in the script, in the characters, and in the way Sofia Coppola directed this work.
What was really brilliant was how she was able to take the work seriously enough to bring validity to the teenagers arguments, and points of view, while understanding that there really are more important things out there.
When Cecilia says to the doctor that he doesn't know how hard it is to be a thirteen year old girl, I was torn between agreeing with her (which I guess was a little off) and wishing she understood more of what she had.
That in itself is a testament to the screenplay here. Not a perfect film, but a really strongly executed debut, with a lot to say.
This review of The Virgin Suicides (2000) was written by Peter L on 11 Dec 2009.
The Virgin Suicides has generally received very positive reviews.
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