Heavenly Creatures
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.76 You Save: $5.23 (52%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $3.14 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Canada
Movie Reviews of Heavenly Creatures
Movie Review: HEAVENLY CREATURES
Summary: 5 Stars
Taking place in the 1950's in Christchurch New Zealand. Heavenly Creatures is based on a true story about the intense bond of two girls Pauline Yvonne Rieper and Juliet Hulme.I think for Pauline in particular this friendship is very important. Pauline is moody person, an introvert of very strong character, kind of a tom boy, with short black unruly curls.
Her father runs a fish shop, and her mother is a house wife, their working-class home also doubles as a boarding house.
She may have feelings of inadequetcy, because of scars on her legs, leaving them brittle, from a childhood illness. But when she meets Juliet Hulme it seems she's met her soul mate.
Juliet is an extrovert, worldly and outspoken, she even corrects the French teacher on her first day.
Juliet is impressed with Pauline's scars, she has scars too, on her lungs from a childhood bout with tuberculosis.
Juliet's parents left her in the Bahamas "for the good of her health" and she didn't see them for five whole years. Juliet tells Pauline "All the best people have bad chests and bone diseases, it's all frightfully romantic!"
Pauline finds refuge at Juliet's enormous upper-class house, where they play and obsess in their made-up world of Borovnia, they write about the escapades of their imaginary alter egos and their fantasy family. Juliet becomes Deborah and Pauline becomes Gina (a beautiful gypsy). and they revel in the music of Mario Lanza, the worlds greatest tenor!
But Juliets parents seem rather cold and aloof. Her mother is a marriage counselor, she has a special technique called "deep therapy".
And her father is an esteemed University rector. He is the first to question the intensity of Pauline and Juliet's relationship. He suggests to the Riepers that Pauline may be growing in a "wayward" fashion and suggests a psychiatrist.
However, Pauline seems oblivious to this. She thinks of Mr. Hulme. as the kindest man she's ever known.
Pauline begins to grow desperate, at the idea that someone may try to come in between her and Juliet, particularly her mother. Who seems to grow concerned at Pauline's total obsession with her stories (and uninterest in school) and especially after a short affair with a male boarder, their relationship is rocky.
Whereas Pauline truly has loving parents, her friendship with Juliet is so important to her, it seems to have altered her reality. And the tension builds when Juliet's parrents announce they are getting divorced and Mr. Hulme is taking Juliet and her brother to South Africa.
The story is absolutely true.
The narration of the film was taken directly from the actual diaries entries of Pauline, which was discovered buried in her backyard by the police. And Peter Jackson, said he filmed most of the scenes in the actual location of the real events.
Melanie Lynsky who portrays Pauline, is MAGNIFICENT! Her performance in fantastic, and seems so real.
Those scenes in which she cries, are so excruiating to watch, because she's actually sobbing, and at the same time it's just facinating.
She's also very charming. I think you'll like her right away.
Kate Winslet is also wonderful. This must have been he first film for each of them, because in the opening sequence is says "and introducing Melanie Lynsky & Kate Winslet"
Filmed in Christchurch New Zealand, Heavenly Creatures is a FACINATING and an absolutely ENGROSSING film. If you like movie of "dark" genre, you'll be awe-struck.
As an interesting side note, The girls were spared harsh punishment because of their ages. Juliet Hulme, changed her name to Anne Perry and is now a writer (of fictional crime) Anne Perry herself admits this. There has been speculation as to what has become of Pauline. But one source says, she changed her name to Hilary Nathan and is an ex-librarian, devout Catholic (almost became a nun) and now runs a riding school in rural England. This is from NZ (New Zealand) Woman's Weekly magazine 1997 in an article written by Chris Cooke.
This is an excellent film, and I'm glad to see it's now on DVD, I know there was a petition going around to get it released, I signed it. :-)
This is the Uncut version.
Movie Review: HEAVENLY CREATURES
Summary: 5 Stars
Taking place in the 1950's in Christchurch New Zealand. Heavenly Creatures is based on a true story about the intense bond of two girls Pauline Yvonne Rieper and Juliet Hulme.I think for Pauline in particular this friendship is very important. Pauline is moody person, an introvert of very strong character, kind of a tom boy, with short black unruly curls.
Her father runs a fish shop, and her mother is a house wife, their working-class home also doubles as a boarding house.
She may have feelings of inadequetcy, because of scars on her legs, leaving them brittle, from a childhood illness. But when she meets Juliet Hulme it seems she's met her soul mate.
Juliet is an extrovert, worldly and outspoken, she even corrects the French teacher on her first day.
Juliet is impressed with Pauline's scars, she has scars too, on her lungs from a childhood bout with tuberculosis.
Juliet's parents left her in the Bahamas "for the good of her health" and she didn't see them for five whole years. Juliet tells Pauline "All the best people have bad chests and bone diseases, it's all frightfully romantic!"
Pauline finds refuge at Juliet's enormous upper-class house, where they play and obsess in their made-up world of Borovnia, they write about the escapades of their imaginary alter egos and their fantasy family. Juliet becomes Deborah and Pauline becomes Gina (a beautiful gypsy). and they revel in the music of Mario Lanza, the worlds greatest tenor!
But Juliets parents seem rather cold and aloof. Her mother is a marriage counselor, she has a special technique called "deep therapy".
And her father is an esteemed University rector. He is the first to question the intensity of Pauline and Juliet's relationship. He suggests to the Riepers that Pauline may be growing in a "wayward" fashion and suggests a psychiatrist.
However, Pauline seems oblivious to this. She thinks of Mr. Hulme. as the kindest man she's ever known.
Pauline begins to grow desperate, at the idea that someone may try to come in between her and Juliet, particularly her mother. Who seems to grow concerned at Pauline's total obsession with her stories (and uninterest in school) and especially after a short affair with a male boarder, their relationship is rocky.
Whereas Pauline truly has loving parents, her friendship with Juliet is so important to her, it seems to have altered her reality. And the tension builds when Juliet's parents announce they are getting divorced and Mr. Hulme is taking Juliet and her brother to South Africa.
The story is absolutely true.
The narration of the film was taken directly from the actual diaries entries of Pauline, which was discovered buried in her backyard by the police. And Peter Jackson, said he filmed most of the scenes in the actual location of the real events.
Melanie Lynsky who portrays Pauline, is MAGNIFICENT! Her performance in fantastic, and seems so real.
Those scenes in which she cries, are so excruiating to watch, because she's actually sobbing, and at the same time it's just facinating.
She's also very charming. I think you'll like her right away.
Kate Winslet is also wonderful. This must have been he first film for each of them, because in the opening sequence is says "and introducing Melanie Lynsky & Kate Winslet"
Filmed in Christchurch New Zealand, Heavenly Creatures is a FACINATING and an absolutely ENGROSSING film. If you like movie of "dark" genre, you'll be awe-struck.
As an interesting side note, The girls were spared harsh punishment because of their ages. Juliet Hulme, changed her name to Anne Perry and is now a writer (of fictional crime) Anne Perry herself admits this. There has been speculation as to what has become of Pauline. But one source says, she changed her name to Hilary Nathan and is an ex-librarian, devout Catholic (almost became a nun) and now runs a riding school in rural England. This is from NZ (New Zealand) Woman's Weekly magazine 1997 in an article written by Chris Cooke.
I don't think I gave too much of the plot away :-)
I'm such a fan of this movie :-) I'm so glad it's finally on DVD!
Movie Review: "Come with me..."
Summary: 5 Stars
"How can these heavenly creatures be real?" asks Pauline in one scene of "Heavenly Creatures," the exquisite and horrifying docudrama of a real-life murder in New Zealand. Peter Jackson uses spectacular special effect, great actors, and outstanding direction to show us how these heavenly creatures became monsters.
In 1952, Pauline Parker (Melanie Lynskey) is a loner at her proper New Zealand school, until the day Juliet Hulme (Kate Winslet) arrives -- an intelligent, witty, daring girl who appeals to Pauline. They share a love of the arts, writing, sculpting, drawing, fantasy, and tenor Mario Lanza. Soon the two of them are nearly inseparable, spinning their fantastical tales of castles, knights, unicorns and beautiful ladies. (The foremost ladies, Deborah and Gina, are modelled on themselves) Even Juliet's four month stint in the hospital doesn't separate the girls through their letters and shared fantasies. But soon Juliet's father (Clive Merrison) becomes concerned that their close friendship is "unhealthy." It is, but not just in the way he thinks.
The two girls' emotional attachment has turned incredibly intense, so that they barely think of anyone but each other, and the fantasy stories begin to seep into reality for them . Pauline drops out of school and stops talking to her parents; Juliet learns that her mother is sleeping with one of her clients, and that her parents are divorcing. Now she's being sent to South Africa, and there is no telling when she will see Pauline again. Unless they do something about their parents so that they can stay together... such as murder.
Peter Jackson kicks off "Heavenly Creatures" by emphasizing what a beautiful, in most ways peaceful country (via a cheesy 1950s documentary). But he rapidly shows that beauty is not everything -- the complex and beautiful fantasy land of Borovnia has a sort of amorality in its stories, that reflects the girls' own minds. Their mothers are problematic -- one is selfish, the other is controlling -- but the girls begin to see them as mere obstacles to be dealt with. Jackson doesn't just show what the two did, but showed why they did it. But even then, he doesn't sugarcoat anything.
Melanie Lynskey is excellent as Pauline; she has something of the look of both a child and a woman, switching between smiles and sullenness, depending on who she's speaking to. And the luminous Kate Winslet plays the somewhat devil-may-care Juliet, whose vivacity and charm overrule any of Pauline's reservations. "It's everyone else who's bonkers!" she says gleefully when Pauline casts doubt on her own sanity. The supporting actors are also good, especially Clive Merrison and Honora Peirse as Juliet's dad and Pauline's mom, who are both concerned about their children.
The dialogue is outstanding, both chilling and simple ("Our main idea for the day was to murder Mother"; "we decided to use a rock in a stocking, rather than a sandbag..."). And Richard Taylor's handling of the CGI and prosthetics is oustanding. One particularly vivid scene has a hillside transforming into an exquisite garden. And nobody except Peter Jackson could have pulled off the idea of including living clay figurines or four-foot-wide butterflies, but somehow it not only works, but adds to the surreality of the story. Jackson's unique camerawork is here as well; if you enjoy his swooping shots and close-ups, then this will be a treat to watch.
The DVD is pretty bare-bones, unfortunately, without a "making of" or director's commentary -- or much of a look at the real-life events of this film. There are some trailers for other movies, and the trailer for this one as well. (Which is not so amazing because it wobbles a little as it played)
While Juliet went on to become bestselling murder mystery writer Anne Perry, no one is entirely certain what happened to Pauline. This movie is frighteningly vivid, beautifully made, and exquisitely directed, destined to be a modern classic.
Movie Review: An impeccable film that captures the heart and chills the soul...
Summary: 5 Stars
Peter Jackson's savagely brilliant `Heavenly Creatures' has to be his finest cinematic moment. Sure, he astounded millions (and won Oscars) for his `Lord of the Rings' trilogy, but he has never been as honest and as human as he was with his delicate handling of this startling true life story.
The film opens with a sequence as shocking as its conclusion; the image of two blood soaked teenage girls floating across the screen. This opening lays a solid foundation for the masterpiece we are about to witness. `Heavenly Creatures' tells the story of young Pauline Parker, a social outcast who lives under the strict rule of her parents Herbert and Honorah. She has no friends and truly no life until she meets Juliet Hulme, the beautiful and interesting new girl. The two girls bond quickly and that bond grows deeper and stronger with time. That bond is threatened though when their parents begin to suspect that maybe the girls are too close and attempt to separate them. What happens as a result is as horrific as it is heartbreaking.
Peter Jackson's visual styling here is marvelous; the way he interjects colors and shapes to deepen the meaning behind many events in the film and to embellish the relationship between Pauline and Juliet. This is especially evident when studying the fantasy world the two girls create for themselves.
`Heavenly Creatures' truly sinks into the minds of these two girls, sheltered from the outside world and jaded by everyone around them except one another. As their devotion towards one another grows they retreat into their fantasy world, a world where they can be together always. They have alternate identities (Pauline is `Gina' and Juliet is `Devora') and they gallivant around clay figures and sing Mario Lanza songs and are ultimately free from the confines of their natural born existence.
This film also marks the big screen debut of both Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet. Both girls are flawless here, utterly flawless. Lynskey captures the desperation and loneliness that engulfs her character, a loneliness that could lead someone to kill. Her relationship with her parents is fleshed out beautifully, and Lynskey portrays the perfect emotions at the precise time to make her character not only believable but truly sympathetic. Kate Winslet is a revelation as Juliet. She embodies her character with confidence and sophistication and natural charm. It's apparent from her first role that she would become a legend, and look now, just fourteen years later, and she has five Oscar nominations to her name. Alongside Winslet and Lynskey there is also a stunning performance given by Sarah Peirse, who plays Honorah, Pauline's mother. Her performance is brilliant, controlled and commanding and breathtakingly honest.
`Heavenly Creatures' is a wonder of a film; at times soft and delicate, charming and sweet and then savage and brutal; a film that will capture your heart and soul and tears it to pieces. As some have mentioned, there are no villains here, only victims, and I think that Jackson's handling of the sensitive material helps translate that important point. By filming almost entirely on location (that is exact location of events) as well as having exerts from Pauline's actual diary read throughout, Peter Jackson helps create a sense of honesty, a sense of truism that permeates this impeccable film. `Heavenly Creatures' may be hard to watch, especially as the film draws to its shocking conclusion, but there is no denying that film this powerful is nothing short of heaven-sent.
Movie Review: Fascinating and Heartbreaking
Summary: 5 Stars
Truth is often much more enthralling than fiction. This statement has never been more accurate than when examining Peter Jackson's unforgettable film, "Heavenly Creatures." Set during the early 1950's, this film explores the obsessive friendship and desperate loneliness of two young girls.
In Christ Church, New Zealand, Pauline Reiper is an introverted 14-year-old who lives with her mother and father, Honora and Herbert. The family runs a boardinghouse, and Pauline keeps to herself.
Enter Juliet Hume, a flamboyant, romantically-minded, yet ultimately tormented girl from an upper-class family. Her father, Henry, rector of Canterbury college, has moved his family to Christ Church.
The two girls meet at school. They find that they share many common interests: a love for opera, art, literature, and medieval life. They also find that they were both afflicted with illness at young ages. As the girls friendship progresses, they create an elaborate "Fourth World," and a fantasy kingdom called Brovnia. fantasy and reality merge with rapid frequency. When the girls parents try to separate them, Pauline and Juliet lash out in the only way they feel they can.
This movie grabs you from the very beginning. Pauline's lower class life is wonderfully contrasted to Juliet's prestigious one. Pauline comes from a family who truly loves her, (Sarah Paierce and Simon O'Connor turn in stellar performances as Pauline's parents), yet Juliet comes from a self-centered background. Her parents are self-absorbed and rarely give Juliet the attention she craves. Perhaps the most heartwrenching scene is the one where Juliet is abandoned by her parents when she is ill with tubercolosis.
Mostly, we see the events unfold through Pauline's eyes. She sees Juliet's life as ideal and longs to be a part of Juliet's family. The script intersperses verbatim diary entries from Pauline that provide a glimps into her mind. I especially liked the fact that the girls were not portrayed as helpless victims, but humans responsible for their actions. None of the principle characters are "cookie-cutter" representations but real humans who struggle. The portrayals are chilling yet also sympathetic. Kate Winslet is excellent as Juliet. Her over-the-top performance provides a glimpse into the mind of a wildly imaginative yet sad child. Melanie Lynsky is superb as Pauline, and the viewer understands how the girls were drawn to each other in real life: they had such similar personalities.
My only complaint about the film is the lesbian subplot and the treatment of Christianity. I can understand why Juliet would have trouble believing God's love, especially when one considers the hypocrisy exhibited by her parents. Juliet has been reported to say that she and Pauline were obsessive, but they never engaged in a sexual relationship.
I just learned from researching the case that Juliet Hume is now writing under the name Anne Perry! I was absolutely astonished! Anne Perry's writing is excellent, and I am greatly comforted to know that both girls are free. It is truly tragic that such young lives were ruined by irrational fear, and that a kindhearted woman lost her life.
This film reminded me of the importance of being a good mentor to children. We can all learn to give kids support and to be available to help them whenever possible. Please give this enthralling film a chance. God bless you all.