The Virgin Suicides - 5

This is Sofia Coppola's second film, the first major release (Lick the Star and Lost in Translation). It is a sad story that is confusing in that there are both moments to laugh at the irony of the situation as well as sadness for those who lived a confused existence. It attempts too much in trying to critique contemporary society, as well as try to explain the reasons for peoples actions, suicide in this case. It doesn't seem to fully take into account the complexity of the emotions and character that lead to suicide. The narrator (Giovanni Ribisi, one of my favorite actors) does a good job of making the film make sense when the actors and scenes fail, which is both helpful but also disappointing. In the end, it sort of begs the question: does anyone take responsibility for their relationships or is imagination and nostalgia enough to carry the weight of the world? I hope it is the former but I think the film shows that only a few resist the easy, submissive path of the latter.