The Virgin Suicides

The Virgin Suicides is the enigmatic story about five teenage sisters' suicides in a suburb in Michigan in the mid-70s.

While still alive the girls are strictly guarded by their parents who do not allow their daughters to mix with boys. The inscrutable sisters fascinate most of the boys in the neighbourhood and in school, especially because of the aura of mystique surrounding them.

The Virgin Suicides has rightfully been compared to Peter Weir's masterpiece "Picnic at Hanging Rock", another film dealing with young women's sexuality and allure. A poetic and mysterious atmosphere characterize both movies as well. In The Virgin Suicides the combination of mystery and ignorance of the sisters' psychology become a drawback. Sofia Coppola leaves too many questions unanswered in this otherwise promising first feature.