Suicide is sad, whether it be by virgins or not

I recently re-watched Sophia Coppola's 1999 film The Virgin Suicides. I don't remember much from my initial viewing of the film maybe 5-7 years ago. I just remember not really getting it, or understanding what the point was. Watching it now, a bit older and supposedly more mature (debatable), I not only understood it, but related to it deeply. It's interesting that a women took the helm on a movie that is essentially the point of view of some young high-school boys and their infatuation with a group of blond and beautiful sisters. However it was the perfect decision, those feelings of enthusiasm and what I guess we called love back then are pitch perfect. She really filmed the unfilmable. This is the stuff that happens in the mind of teenage boys, the perfection we bestowed upon certain women, the unattainable quality we would give them (Or maybe I just couldn't get them). 

Trying to capture such allusive things with a camera would seem like you would end up with a boring film, with trivial images, but Coppola is able to create a soft mood that keeps us engrossed throughout. She is able to capture those huge moments in the life of a teenager, like almost holding hands in a theatre and make them real and engrossing. 

However, there is that dark part of the film that the title alludes too. I don't want to delve to far into what exactly happens, but I found myself questioning if it was really needed, and I came the to the conclusion that yes it was. The reason is because if it hadn't the retrospective part of the film wouldn't have worked, the moments wouldn't have been so sharp. The question of why, lets audiences experience the Lisbon sisters with a clarity that couldn't have otherwise happened. 

It must be noted that Kathleen Turner gives a great understated performance here as the girls mother. James Woods also shines as the father who keeps his wounds hidden deep. 

Despite the dark tones of the film, what Coppola does best is not dwelling or heightening those darker moments, but instead concentrating on all those little things that make growing up so engrossing. We also see what we know now as the great muted green's and pink's as well as mystical pop music that would come to define her later movies also. 

***1/2