Who hasn't wanted at one time or another to pick up a big, blunt
object and whack their parents over the head with it? Perhaps Heavenly
Creatures is so brilliant because it doesn't exploit such heretical
bloodlust with sweeping moral platitudes or stick it in the closet
marked Wholesale Condemnation. It's a simple fact of life that we have
all hated our parents at times with such an intense ferocity that
we almost stuck the brick in the blanket and took a hefty
swing. But what if you did finally cross that line, and it took a
total retreat into fantasy to create the required frisson to make it
not only plausible, but justifiable in your own mind? Wouldn't that be
a nifty trick? And would more of us try and get away with it if we
could?
It's the swingin' 50's, but Juliet (Kate Winslet) and
Pauline (Melanie Lynskey) wouldn't have any idea. Stuck in a
repressive boarding school and under the thumb of repressive parental
and authority figures, the pair begin to retreat into a magical land
of fantasy and inspired bouts of daydreaming. And unbeknownst even to
them, Juliet and Pauline are also falling in love, much to the growing
horror of Pauline's mother Hilda (Diana Kent). When reality threatens
to destroy the only thing that matters to both, the only option left
seems to be the darkest... Long before hitting the big time
with hobbits and elves in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, New Zealand
fantasist Jackson silenced all the punters with Heavenly Creatures,
proving he was far more than an immature goremeister long on effects
but short on substance. This is one of those films that is so hard to
categorize, so unusual, so complex, that it is almost revelatory.
Based loosely on the real-life story of Juliet Hulme and Pauline
Parker that shocked a nation, Jackson wisely avoids crafting a
straightforward or exploitative true life crime pic, mixing up genres
and our expectations with his usual finesse.
Winslet (never
better, if you ask me) and newcomer Lynskey create a complex,
believable relationship rare in cinema past or present, and one that,
thankfully, doesn't play down the lesbian relationship or grandstand
for shock value. Jackson matches the risk his actors take by walking a
daring tightrope, subtly but cleverly examining the repressive aspects
of English society by integrating sheer visual bravura and snippets of
the music, movies, literature of the time into the girls' lyrical
flights of fancy. More than mere gimmicky camerawork that a lesser
filmmaker would play off as bland MTV postmodernism (can you imagine
Brett Ratner or McG directing this movie!?), Jackson's hyper-
stylization renders form and function inseparable. He's working
without a net, and it works. 
The end result? A film that is a
must-see. A film that deepens upon every viewing. A film that is a
loud, ringing declaration of self-confidence from a director finally
finding his voice. And a film that feels inevitable, dour, oppressive
and terrifying, yet wholly organic, exhilarating, idealistic and
ultimately romantic. Which, I bet, is just how one might feel when
taking a brick to their mother's head.
Video: How Does The
Disc Look?
Finally! After years of waiting, Miramax has
finally decided to release Heavenly Creatures on DVD, and in its
original 109-minute uncut version, no less. Presenting the film in its
first-ever 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, the results are,
alas, not nearly as thrilling as the film. To be fair, this is
certainly a perfectly respectable effort, it's just clear this is
likely a stopgap release to capitalize on the now red-hot Jackson.
The print is in fine enough shape, with a little wear and tear
in spots and marred by some dirt, grain in darker scenes and a few
dropouts. Jackson and director of photography Alun Bollinger employ a
bold color scheme which is generally well-represented here; colors are
vibrant and generally well saturated, though the film still takes on a
hard, somewhat dated appearance, and fleshtones sometimes appear too
red. Blacks are fine, although I detected slight fading in some
scenes, and contrast solid. Despite a little softness, detail is good,
although shadow delineation suffers; the film often looks a bit mucky
with fine textures hard to discern. This is no doubt due in part to
the over-contrasted look of the film, but the dated print and
noticeable edginess don't help. Unfortunately, Miramax has not opted
for a dual-layer disc, squeezing this 109-minute film onto only a
single layer. While compression artifacts are minimal, a fully
remastered transfer and the dual-layer disc treatment would certainly
have helped. Pretty average. 
Audio: How Does The Disc
Sound?
Like the transfer, this Dolby 2.0 surround track is
no great shakes. Jackson certainly has fun with sound in his films, so
a full 5.1 remix would have really opened up the experience. The
source elements are in nice shape, but dynamic range is a bit limited
if consistent for such low-budget productions at the time. Surround
use is overall minimal except for some minor ambiance and a couple of
noticeable rear effects. Low end is also lacking, especially Peter
Dasent's score. Not bad, but coulda been better.
Also included
are English subtitles and Closed Captions.
Supplements:
What Goodies Are There?
This is about as bare bones as it
gets, with just the film's dull domestic theatrical trailer
presented in full frame. Not even a bio, some background history or
production notes, or anything. What a drag.
DVD-ROM
Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?
No ROM extras have been included.
Parting
Thoughts
In many ways this is a disappointing release, with
no real extras in spite of the film's huge cult following and
universal acclaim. It's also obvious filler to capitalize on the
recent success of Jackson and all the attendant Lord of the Rings
hoopla. However, at long last featuring the uncut version of the film
and priced relatively inexpensively at $19.95 list, this just about
makes do. I'm sure someday we'll see a full-fledged special edition,
but for now, I guess I'll have to be happy just to have this one on
DVD. A must-see regardless.
Top Sellers 
