Mr and Mrs Lisbon and their five daughters have a seemingly perfect existence in their middle class suburb. All five girls are beautiful, and, being close in age, are very sisterly, attracting attention from all red-blooded males at school. Then Cecilia commits suicide for no apparent reason, impaling herself on the fence outside the Lisbon house. From thereon, the girls are kept under lock and key, much to the intrigue of four of their male contemporaries, who try to reach out to the girls in their hour of need. Will the girls ever regain their freedom? Or are they doomed to remain fantasies?
Directed by Sofia Coppola and based on the book of the same title by Jeffrey Eugenides, this film has won acclaim in some circles for its dreaminess and intense look at the lives of five teenagers. Although not sure if it would be my cup of tea, the fact that it is about suicide persuaded me to take a look. And to start with, it is certainly an intriguing film. Narrated by one of the boys who has always had an interest in the Lisbon girls, we are initially made aware that something strange happens to the family as a whole, although the narrator (Giovanni Ribisi who plays Pheobe's brother in Friends and doesn't actually appear in the
film) makes it clear that he doesn't know the whole truth. The story is further embroidered by an ex-boyfriend of one of the girls, played by Josh Hartnett, who is clearly in some kind of rehab, professing undying love for his girl.
The character who takes up most of the screen-time is Lux, who is played by Kirsten Dunst. The rebel of the family, and the most sexually precocious, she is the most interesting character and Kirsten Dunst takes on the role with aplomb. Unfortunately, we don't have much insight into her character - this is not a fault of Dunst, but rather the way the director and script-writer chose to play the film - which I think is a shame. I certainly felt that by not understanding what made Lux tick, it is hard to feel anything for her or her sisters, thus making the whole film rather pointless. To be honest, if Kirsten Dunst were not so well-known today, she would have blended into the background with her on-screen sisters, none of whom really made an impression.
Mrs Lisbon is ably played by Kathleen Turner, a talented actress who is unfortunately wasted here. She clearly has a great part to play in making the audience understand what happens to her daughters, but she doesn't give anything away, thus making her blend into the background along with her daughters. Husband Ronald, played by James Woods, is no better. The final nail in the coffin for me, as far as the characters go at least, is that the boys who show so much interest in the Lisbon girls are not really developed. All this blandness of characters serves to make the film very boring - because I didn't really feel anything for any of them, I didn't care what happened to them.
The story, as I've mentioned, does start out quite promisingly; I did at least think that the Lisbons' story would be an interesting one. Unfortunately, the story doesn't really take off. Someone on imdb.com mentions that the film is more a 'sequence of events' than anything else, and I think that this is right. This perhaps makes it life-like, but when I'm watching a film, I need something more than the boring reality of everyday life. And there is an interesting story to be told here. What happens to the girls is shocking, and were we, the audience, allowed to have a peek into the reasons behind it, it would have been fascinating. Unfortunately, we are kept as much in the dark as the boys telling the story. I haven't read the book by Jeffrey Eugenides, so have no idea how closely the film mirrors the book, but I suspect it works better on the written page than it does on the screen - so much is internalised in the film that may have been better described in words, therefore making more sense.
The concept of the film seems to be about teenage suicide and the pressures that nasty middle-class parents put on their children. There is also an element of voyeurism - the press have an unhealthy interest in Cecilia's suicide for example. Teenage suicide is a problem that we face in today's suicide and should be taken seriously; however, because we have no real insight into the lives of the girls or their parents, it is hard to see exactly what this film achieves. Nor am I exactly sure who the film is aimed at - it is probably too surreal for teenagers, but it isn't informative for adults either. I've seen much better films about puberty and the rites of passage. And while it was a well-made film with a good soundtrack from electronic band Air, it didn't stand out as anything out of the ordinary for me.
There is a rating of 15 (UK) for this film, more because of the topic than anything graphic.
Clearly a lot of people think this film is the bees' knees, but while I didn't hate it, I can't say that it had a particularly strong impact on me. In fact, after the first half an hour, I struggled to finish watching. I think this is one of those films that has been hyped up and is bound to disappoint some, so if you can watch it without any preconceived ideas, you may fare better than I did. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to watch it. Three stars out of five.
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Great review, and Im not intrigued by this from your review and the other comments! Think ill read the book first then give the film a go x
IzzyS 21.08.2008 11:46
Good review. I read the book quite a few years ago but I haven't seen the movie.
lizngaz 21.08.2008 00:36
Cant say it sounds like something I want to watch. What a pity they didnt show more of the background to the story. Like you though, I havent read the book either xx
Sophia Coppola's alternately dreamy and unsettling film about five suburban sisters who ... more
all mysteriously kill themselves (the voice-over tells you as much in the first five minutes) casts a witchy spell that lingers like drugstore perfume on a hot day....
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Sophia Coppola's alternately dreamy and unsettling film about five suburban sisters who ... more
all mysteriously kill themselves (the voice-over tells you as much in the first five minutes) casts a witchy spell that lingers like drugstore perfume on a hot day....
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
The lives of an eclectic group of boys who live in an affluent American suburb in the ... more
1970s are changed forever by their obsession with five beautiful sisters. The story, told through the recollections of the now grown-up neighbourhood boys, unfolds in...
In 1970s suburbia lived the five beautiful Lisbon sisters whose doomed fates indelibly ... more
marked the neighborhood boys. Therese Mary Bonnie Lux and Cecilia were everything desired and unattainable due to their parents' strict household rules. From afa...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Beautifully made by Sofia Coppola, great soundtrack, original, great cast and brilliant performances. Disadvantages: None for me personally but some might find that the other characters aren't as well developed as Lux.
Advantages: What more can be said? It's outstanding in every respect Disadvantages: Subject matter could be too morose and reflective for some, it's not exactly action-packed either. Probably not suitable as a post-pub choice with your mates :-)
EnglishPatient 08.02.2001 (08.02.2001)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Virgin Suicides (DVD)
Advantages: The role of the younger sister, at least one role meant something... Disadvantages: The hugely missable story line and a deeper plot that seems to run at least 6 miles beneath the film.
axtesh 03.06.2001 (10.06.2001)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of The Virgin Suicides (DVD)
Advantages: excellent performances from scarlett johansson and bill murray and also great direction from soffia coppola Disadvantages: erm maybe a little slow for some people and not an extensive plot....
![The Virgin Suicides [DVD] [2000]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78544413.jpg "The Virgin Suicides [DVD] [2000]")
Aug 18th, 2008
very helpful by (99%):
helpful by (1%):
