Directed by:
Peter JacksonCinematography:
Alun BollingerCast:
Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Sarah Peirse, Diana Kent, Jed Brophy, Clive Merrison, Elizabeth Moody, Peter Jackson, Darien Takle, Ben Fransham, Jesse Griffin (more)Plots(1)
Director Peter Jackson helms this chilling true-life drama about an obsessive friendship. When circumstances bring together two imaginative teenage schoolgirls, they quickly form an unwavering bond, creating a fantasy world that only they can share. But when their parents become disturbed by the intensity of the friendship and threaten to keep them apart, the girls vow to stay together and devise a secret plan that leads to shocking consequences. (Miramax Films)
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Reviews (7)
This kind of work with the image in a drama (constant driving that reveals necessary information gradually, alienating effects, point of view changes, the impossibility of relying on who actually owns the scene) is the kind of thing that Spielberg then started doing almost twenty years later (after all, he and Jackson did The Adventures of Tintin together). An enlightened handling of a tabloid subject that doesn't actually care about the murder, but rather tries to make us understand the seemingly exaggerated and naive bond between two friends at the prime of their lives, besieged by an ossified, rational, and limited world, is a thing that is still awfully rare today. A beautiful reminder of a certain time in life that I would normally describe as non-transferable, which ends with a bludgeoning with a brick.
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If someone else had made it, it would have been a mere descriptive story, fit for prime time TV, but Peter Jackson turned it into a riveting film brimming with directorial ideas that are simply incredible. Who knows, maybe the Oscar nominations helped Jackson convinced the bosses at New Line Cinema to finance Lord of the Rings.
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The 1950s hold promise for Peter Jackson, and it's a great pity that he couldn't experience them himself. In his films, they are captured beautifully, and the same goes for this movie set in the 1950s. That era is reflected in all of his films that aren't fantasy-related. Similarly, he is fascinated by murders, but in the filmmaking sense of the word. At least I hope that’s the case. Heavenly Creatures isn't as strong a film for me compared to his others, but there are scenes in it that will impress you. Especially the final one.
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Average content packaged in a brutally intellectual and visually distinctive guise that doesn’t fit everyone flawlessly. Peter Jackson is bursting with directorial ideas at every step, some are good, some not so much, but it is difficult for anyone to criticize his directorial talent in the end. However, the film does have its deaf spots, with some unconvincing scenes in terms of the performances of the actresses – their roles were extremely demanding, but somehow nobody cares. The cinematography is also memorable, which in many aspects (fast transition between whole and detail) reminds of the legendary B-movies on which Jackson built his career. Overall, however, the film is somewhat unrelatable for me as it revolves around two girls. The ending can be understood, yet it strongly contrasts with the rest of the story, which is at least peculiar.
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A brilliantly directed film. Almost every scene, every shot, has an incredible flair that shows Jackson's tremendous passion for the cause. With the use of sometimes very dynamic editing, "intrusive" camerawork, and unconventional musical/imaginative:))) inserts, the result is a supremely successful film, with which it is impossible (at least for me) to be bored even for a moment. In addition, the portrayal of the relationship between the two main protagonists is handled excellently. Some flaws could be found, but as I mentioned above – Jackson's sense of direction is so great that you will quickly forget any negatives. :))
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Gallery (116)
Photo © 1994 - Miramax
![Heavenly Creatures - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/159/686/159686717_6d6f00.jpg)
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