The Virgin Suicides

We knew that the girls were really women in disguise. That they understood love and even death and that our job our job was merely to make the noise that seemed to fascinate them. We knew that they knew everything about us and that we couldn't fathom them at all.

A review by Mike Shea Movie Rating: ( * * * * · ) DVD Rating: ( * * * * · )

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The Virgin Suicides was another recommendation from a couple of friends. I guess I expected some artsy film about the horror of being a young girl, but what I got instead was a 70s period piece about the the horror of being a young girl. I have to say, that made all the difference. There is some really wonderful acting in this flick. The movie really focuses on two girls of the five main heroines in particular, but both do a wonderful job of showing the oppression of their over bearing household and their repressed youth. The Godfather. I am not sure if she basically got a free ride from the old man on this one while many talented directors work as busboys, but it is a good movie regardless.

The DVD has a very nice 1.85 to 1 16x9 transfer that seems a bit green in some scenes and a bit grey in others. I am pretty sure this is part of the way the director originally intended it to be seen, but my feeble home-theater induced mind actually took notice of it rather than the scene itself. The excellent soundtrack is Dolby Digital 5.1 and really pulls off those 70s classic rock tunes very well. There was no directors commentary or DTS soundtrack unfortunatly, a requirement for a five star rating.

Virgin Suicides was a lot better than I expected. While the overall theme of the movie is one of tragedy, there is more than enough room for some really funny situations. The backdrop and wonderful characters really add to this very interesting tale, go check it out.