Rating: 
Summary: Intensely beautiful and haunting film about teenage life
Review: At first glance, this film doesn't seem like much. The video box features only a close-up of Kirsten Dunst, which while attracting attention from males, doesn't really show anything about the film. Once I had actually commenced with watching the film I was completely blown away. I'm a teenager myself, and while I have never considered suicide, I could relate to the feelings that the girls were going through. Viewers can tell that a lot of thought, hard work and love has been put into this feature. Sofia Coppola directs with an easy hand and an interesting style. Her use of split screen and dream sequences is quite unique and works very well. She truly cares about every one of her characters and it shows. The characters are all very well played. Particularly worth mention are James Woods as the father, Kathleen Turner as the mother, Kirsten Dunst as teasing Lisbon daughter Lux and of course, Josh Hartnett as the only boy who ever got close to a Lisbon girl. The film itself is a memory, recalled by four neighborhood boys who were once (and still may be) obsessed with the five blond beauties that were the Lisbon sisters. Mysterious and seductive, nobody knew much of anything about them, much less why the youngest Cecilia killed herself. As the film moves on, viewers get a closer look at life in the Lisbon household, particularly when a smooth boy named Trip Fontaine becomes obsessed with Lux. He ends up convincing the mother and father to let him take Lux to a homecoming dance, providing dates for the other four girls (p.s. - Hayden Christensen fans - see him pre-Star Wars fame as one of the boys who take the girls out). Things get out of hand to say the least and the girls are put under house arrest by their unstable mother. All meet the same end, as evidenced by the title. While other reviewers have given the film flack about not developing the characters, since the film is from the perspective of people who didn't really know the Lisbon girls, that's the way it's meant to be. The audience is meant to take what they see in their own way. I, personally, liked this about the film. The film seems to have people a little divided in some areas. I say, see it for yourself and decide. Whether you come out happy or not, you will have seen a film that while haunting and rather depressing, is incredibly beautiful.
Rating: 
Summary: Haunting, memorable and subtle directional debut for Sofia.
Review: A daring idea indeed, The Virgin Suicides is a critically acclaimed gem that has so many words that could describe it. It's a shocking, disturbing, dramatic, interesting, beautiful...I could go on all day. I liked the way this movie ventured into things we haven't seen done quite so professionally lately, it was certainly a great movie that has the guts to be different and even funny in its seriously no-jokes premise. Sofia Coppola, following the family tradition of directing, gives a stunner debut directing effort in this film, she has total promise for the future. You can see Coppola's effort shining in the behind-camera areas, and the performances in front of the cameras are amazing. Kathleen Turner is real and strictly engaging, while Kirsten Dunst is pretty bewitching as the most interesting sister. This film leaves on a totally haunting note and you may have to just sit still and watch the credits for a few minutes before walking again. There are also some really neat camera-tricks and some shots that will definitely be remembered. Sofia Coppola may need to work on her story-telling skills (which are indeed good, but in the middle The Virgin Suicides may tend to drag on for some audiences) but I was very satisfied with this fascinating and memorable picture that will certainly stick in your sleep.
Rating: 
Summary: Teen Dream
Review: One of the most intriguing and subtle teen movies of the last years, "The Virgin Suicides" is an interesting and promising debut from director Sofia Coppola. This is a well-crafted story about the coming of adulthood and the power of (lost) dreams, one that wisely covers key issues like the loss of innocence, love and freedom. The five Lisbon sisters truly carry an ethereal, dream-like mood, an element that Coppola manages to deliver throughout the entire movie, which is as beautiful as it is haunting. One can sense a gripping and enigmatic atmosphere here, that combined with the slow development of the plot creates an hypnotic and addictive cinematic experience with an unique feel.
The soundtrack, mostly by the french duo Air, also carries that strange yet captivating feel, offering the perfect musical combination to the unsettling images. We never really know why the sisters killed themselves, although some hints are given through the movie. They really didn`t seem to connect with their envoironment, partially because of their parents` attitude but also due to the adolescence period they had started to experience. They saw the world in a peculiar way, discovering mysteries and elements no one else noticed. The effects of isolation and lack of communication are well handled here, especially in one of the last scenes where the girls play music on the phone to their neighbours. This is indeed an excellent and very well-observed coming-of-age moment, a truly memmorable sequence. Although it carries some unengaging scenes and has characters that the viewer isn`t allowed to know or connect with, "The Virgin Suicides" is still a fine effort and a worthwile indie movie about troubled and confused teenagers. It`s also another sucessful film that dares to explore the "peaceful" and "calm" american suburbia where apparently there`s not much going on.
Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Intentional Plagarism?
Review: This film is not nearly as moving as the book of the same title, which captures youth as a much more nuanced, ethereal time (not to mention developing the story so well that it lingers, like a Polaroid picture, long after the color has filled in). But it is a fine adaptation, filled with textured performances and much of the metaphoric depth of the novel (the fish flies, the accumulation of material goods and their subsequent abandonment, etc). My one complaint is not with the film itself but one of the reviews posted above--from Kayla, who has transposed, word for word, the review of the film written by web reviewer James Berardinelli (found easily on Rotten Tomatoes and other sites). It's amazing that people on this site are willing to plagarize for the sake of ratings--and disturbing, too, that others are buying products based on reviews of products that the posting "reviewer" may or may not have used/seen/read in the first place. But so much for those inclined to artistic theft--check the film out, and the book as well; they're both of the highest quality.
Rating:
Summary: "Heathers" meets "Welcome to the Dollhouse"
Review: Her acting skills criticized in the past, Sofia Coppola makes a stunning directorial debut in this dark comedy reminiscent of "Heathers" and "Welcome to the Dollhouse". A dark movie woven with careful humor, "The Virgin Suicides" explores the sexual awakening and adolescence of the Lisbon Sisters who, by all appearances, are the picture of perfection to the neighborhood boys, when in fact, the teenage girls are just as awkward and self-conscious as any of their peers. Kathleen Turner and James Woods are incredible. They actually have little dialogue, but it's so well acted, few words are needed. Josh Hartnett as Trip Fontaine is spectacular and had to have watched hours of Welcome Back Kotter-era Travolta to pull off such a stud factor. Set in Suburbia 70's, Coppola has clearly targeted the 30-something audience and hit the bullseye. Supported by a great soundtrack, well-written dialogue, and superb cast, Sofia Coppola make an awesome directorial debut in this must see film.
Rating:
Summary: Worth Seeing, but could have been better
Review: The movie is set back in the mid-1970s in Michigan. The Lisbon family, consisting of extremely oppressive parents- the mother more so than the father (portrayed wonderfully by Kathleen Turner and James Woods) and five beautiful teenage daughters, is the central focus of the film. Within the first 10 minutes of the film, the youngest daughter commits suicide. From there you view a steady decline leading up to the inevitable "Virgin Suicides" of the remaining four daughters. The girls were mainly portrayed from the eyes of four boys from their neighborhood. The boys were fascinated with the girls- an adolescant obsession. The film actually starts from one of the boys as an adult lamenting back on the girls "he could never forget". (With due reason!) The cast was phenomenal. Kirsten Dunst really shines as do James Woods and Kathleen Turner. But they were not used to thier full potential. You never really get to know the characters. All you see are small glimpses. The character development from the beginning could have absolutely been better. The movie does not answer any questions of why the girls committed suicide. I understand, the films sole premise was not was not meant to be about the suicides, but with such a tragedy that occured I felt a core part of the story development was ignored. At the end of the movie, you are not truly sad for the catastrophic mass suicide, or for the parents, as you barely get to know them. Rather the movie left me talking about what could have been done to the point across better. It is worth seeing, but I would not buy it without first viewing it.
Rating: 
Summary: Probably the worst movie ever
Review: A waste of film for sure. This is the perfectly boring story of a few suicidal girls. How many are there? Can't tell. They all look and act alike. No character. No motivation. No plot worth mentioning. Even the subplot of the girls trying to save a tree drown in the bad execution: the tree ends up being cut just to show up in a later shot. Funny how people - that includes movie critics - feel compulsed to laud a movie when they don't get the plot. Couldn't the movie be just bad rather than intellectual?
Rating:
Summary: Haunting, Harrowing & Powerful
Review: "The Virgin Suicides" is a powerful and finely nuanced movie. The plot centers on five beautiful blonde sisters, "The Lisbon Sisters," who live with their overly protective parents in an upscale suburb of Detroit. The narrative is told from the vantage point of an awkward teenage male, now grown up, who lived near them. He and his friends were mesmerized by them and years later still talk about them and sift through their memorabilia of them.
The movie begins with the first two suicide attempts of the youngest sister Cecilia, with the second one being successful. It then traces the impact of her death on her family and her neighbors-with the parents becoming even more protective of their four surviving daughters. Trouble though, comes from Luz, now the youngest and the most vibrant and flirtatious. She falls for the school hunk-and he for her-and with her sisters and their escorts goes to the homecoming dance. This proves to be fatal for all involved.
Sofia Coppola did an amazing job with this movie for a first time director. She focuses on small details-for example, the bracelets that cover the scarred wrists of Cecilia after her first suicide attempt-that tell so much. She pulled an outstanding performance out of Kirsten Dunst who played Luz. She also compiled an amazing soundtrack and score.
I would recommend this movie for those who enjoy "arty" serious films, 70's films, and women-themed movies.It is definitely not a "feel good" movie-but it will stay with you far longer than most other films.
Rating:
Summary: The Loss Of Innocence
Review: The Virgin Suicides is Sofia Coppola's directorial debut, and its effectiveness illustrates that she's better behind the camera than she is in front of it. (Most movie-goers will remember her ill-fated attempt to portray Michael Corleone's daughter in The Godfather III.) Tragic, haunting, and sometimes darkly comedic, this movie leaves a strong impression in its telling of a story about the destruction of innocence. The film is based on the book by Jeffrey Eugenides, which happens to be Coppola's favorite novel. As a result, she felt that, in bringing the adaptation to the screen, she had a strong responsibility to be faithful to the source material. The time frame is the mid-'70s and the setting is an upper class suburban community in Michigan. The film tells the sad story of the five Lisbon sisters - Cecilia (age 13, played by Hanna Hall), Lux (age 14, played by Kirsten Dunst), Bonnie (age 15, played by Chelsea Swain), Mary (age 16, played by A.J. Cook), and Therese (age 17, played by Leslie Hayman) - all of whom come to a bad end before finishing high school (this much is revealed during the introductory voiceover, which is provided by Giovanni Ribisi). Unhappy, neglected Cecilia is the first to give up on life - after surviving one suicide attempt, she is successful on the second try. In the wake of that event, the atmosphere surrounding the surviving sisters becomes grim, and their parents' overprotectiveness threatens to suffocate them. For most children, mothers and fathers set boundaries; for the Lisbons, it's iron bars. The Virgin Suicides is filmed as a memory looking back through 25 years, and the point-of-view is that of a boy who was in love with one (or perhaps all) of the girls. As a result, the events recounted here offer a filtered perspective of the sisters and the complexities of their lives. Presenting things in this manner, The Virgin Suicides manages to be both poignant and touchingly nostalgic. Also, Coppola's style is such that she avoids turning the film into a sudsy melodrama that glamorizes self-destruction. One of The Virgin Suicides' strengths is its ability to effectively capture the nuances of teenage life during the '70s. Coppola gets all of the little things right: the awkwardness of a chaperoned boy/girl party, the thrill of first love, and the nervousness of the pre-dance ritual (in this case, the homecoming dance, not the prom). The film also boasts a solid soundtrack featuring a few songs that haven't been endlessly recycled in other, recent, set-in-the-'70s features. In one key scene, music provides a link between the Lisbon girls and the outside world - it becomes their only viable means of communication and free expression. Most of the cast is comprised of fresh faces, all of whom do solid jobs. The more recognizable names include Kirsten Dunst as Lux (the girl with the most visible role), James Woods (as the girls' father), and Kathleen Turner (as their mother). Josh Hartnett (last seen as the guy who loses the girl in Here On Earth), who is slowly building a reputation in Hollywood, plays heartthrob Trip Fontaine, whose poor treatment of Lux sets off a chain of events that leads to one of the movie's tragedies. The Virgin Suicides also includes excerpts from a modern-day interview with a forty-something Trip (played by Michael Pare), who clearly has regrets about his treatment of Lux. By using occasional bursts of humor and setting up the film as a collage of reminiscences, Coppola establishes a mood that is wistful and sad, but not funereal. There are a few instances when the film gets a little heavy handed, but, for the most part, the tone is well modulated. Although Coppola almost certainly gained more than a little help from her famous father in getting the production off the ground, the talent evident in her debut argues that this is not a case of unwarranted nepotism. The apple has not fallen far from the tree.
Rating:
Summary: EMOTIONALLY CHARGED
Review: The story of five sisters living in an oppressive household with
parents who believe they are doing everything right and have not
a clue how far off the mark they are. After a tragic beginning,
you are picked up, pulled in and allowed to float carelessly upon
a dreamy cloud of hope, as it appears that these sisters, against
all odds, will find their way to a somewhat normal adolescence.
But just as hope lifts you to the highest of highs, it is pulled
out from under you as the inevitable comes to pass, leaving you
emotionally drained. Unique to it's core, unrelenting in it's
heartbreak. If you are not moved by this film, I can only
conclude that you are a mountain.
Thanks,
Tom
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