 Heavenly Creatures (1994) Time has been kind to this tale of twisted obsession between two girls in 1950s Christchurch, New Zealand. Pauline Parker (Melanie Lynskey) and Juliet Hulme (Kate Winslet) develop a frighteningly deep friendship rooted in fantasy and alienation, and ultimately plot to kill Pauline's mother, one of the several adult figures perceived by the teens as standing in their way. Jackson imbues the true story with a visual flair that prefigures his brilliant execution of The Lord of the Rings, blending brilliantly-realized scenes of the girls' fantasy world (populated by 50s icons Welles and Mario Lanza, among others) with meticulously authentic recreations of their relationship and their crime. Winslet and Lynskey are both mesmerizing, never better, and the supporting cast is similarly excellent. It's a slow mover, but damn rewarding, even if there's no Orlando Bloom on hand for effeminate beefcake thrills. Years from now, people will look back on mid-90s Australian cinema as being a gigantic turning point in film history. Heavenly Creatures, at that point, will undoubtedly be regarded as a classic.
Review by Mason Bray |