Having loved Lost in Translation, though I had mixed views on Marie Antoinette, I was interested in watching Coppola's debut film. And what a beautiful film it is. I do consider Lost in Translation a marginally better film, but The Virgin Suicides is extremely good.
What did I love most about it? Firsly, the gorgeous visuals. The production design is splendid and very evocative and the cinematography captures it perfectly as well as the quiet symbolism. The music by Air has a really pleasant lilt to it and never does it feel out of place with the mood.
Kirsten Dunst, in a performance that I feel has only been matched by her performance in Melancholia, is exceptional, and so is that of the cocky(in the film that is) and incredibly handsome Josh Hartnett. Great actors like James Woods, Kathaleen Turner and Danny DeVito also give noteworthy performances.
Coppola deserves credit here. She may have been savaged by critics for her performance in Godfather Part III, and I am afraid I am one of those who didn't like it very much, but I love how she bounced back and won me over with a beautifully directed and thoughtfully written film.
The Virgin Suicides may be thoughtful and melancholic in tone, but a lot of it is very poignant as well. The story is deliberately glacial in place which added actually to the film's beauty, and is very whimsical, maybe too much in places but overall it was effective.
All in all, a beautiful and great film. 9/10 Bethany Cox
What did I love most about it? Firsly, the gorgeous visuals. The production design is splendid and very evocative and the cinematography captures it perfectly as well as the quiet symbolism. The music by Air has a really pleasant lilt to it and never does it feel out of place with the mood.
Kirsten Dunst, in a performance that I feel has only been matched by her performance in Melancholia, is exceptional, and so is that of the cocky(in the film that is) and incredibly handsome Josh Hartnett. Great actors like James Woods, Kathaleen Turner and Danny DeVito also give noteworthy performances.
Coppola deserves credit here. She may have been savaged by critics for her performance in Godfather Part III, and I am afraid I am one of those who didn't like it very much, but I love how she bounced back and won me over with a beautifully directed and thoughtfully written film.
The Virgin Suicides may be thoughtful and melancholic in tone, but a lot of it is very poignant as well. The story is deliberately glacial in place which added actually to the film's beauty, and is very whimsical, maybe too much in places but overall it was effective.
All in all, a beautiful and great film. 9/10 Bethany Cox