Back before film-maker Peter Jackson specialised in giant apes and armies of Orcs, believe it or not he actually made some quite low budget little films in his native New Zealand, one of which was destined to almost completely be forgotten due to his eventual rise to mega-fame with his 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy - this little gem being 'Heavenly Creatures.'
It's a story that's based on a real-life murder from the fifties that was quite notorious at the time, due to the crime being carried out by a pair of 'sweet and innocent' (?) teenage girls. Kate Winslet makes her debut performance (in films, at least) as one half of the due, Juliet Hulme. It's easy to see this as her 'break-through' role as she does shine with youthful exuberance and it's hard to imagine anyone so angelic-looking could be capable of such misdeeds. Much of the attention surrounding the film centred around Winslet, due to it spring-boarding her career to A-list status. However, it's worth noting that the film may have been totally forgotten at the time had it not been for the excellently-understated (and largely unrecognised at the time) performance by the other girl, Pauline Parker, played by Melanie Lynskey. Lynskey is a true opposite to everything about Winslet's character, in both looks and mannerisms. However, I guess it has something to do with that old saying 'opposites attract' that made the two come together in real life and be so powerful together when portrayed on film.However, as good as the two leads' performances are perhaps this is the early movie that really cemented Jackson's reputation as a director who was definitely one to look out for. Because the two main characters are so you and, because they were living in a time where children were encouraged to act like children (as opposed to today when 11 year olds are posing for pictures on Instagram) they come across as - what you might call - 'overly childlike.' This is, of course, in stark contrast to the crime they go on to commit. They live in a fantasy world (some CGI special effects required here, but it all works well as it's not actually supposed to be real, purely - and very blatantly - in the minds of the girls) and so everything is treated like it was some sort of happy-go-lucky kids' movie. Jackson creates an atmosphere that's brimming with 'cuteness,' while all the time underlying the tension of what is slowly building. If I had to liken it to another film/director, I'd say it was similar to some of the output of David Lynch, who specialises in creating (seemingly) 'idyllic' settings, only for something very dark to be brooding beneath the surface.
I think potential viewers need to be aware of how the two leads act before they decide to watch the film. I saw some complaints regarding how 'annoying' the two girls were. As I mentioned, they came from a different time to the one we live in now and children acted differently then. Yes, I know they go to 'extreme' lengths when presented with the reality that some families move away, therefore 'splitting up' friends in the process. However, thinking back to my own 'teenage years' I recall some pretty (hormone-driven?) emotions flooding through me, making me think every little event was the end of the world and no one would ever understand me. Therefore, I do give the two girls a little bit of slack for their feelings (but not their ultimate actions, obviously!).
Despite how 'sweet and innocent' this film is, it's definitely not for the faint hearted, as the ending seems to deliberately try and contrast everything that's gone before it in terms of sheer horror and brutality. If you're into drama, real life crime, or just looking for something we a flair for creating an atmosphere, then this is definitely worth a watch. 'Lord of the Rings' it is not, but it is definitely one of Peter Jackson's finest. Oh, and if you heard it's full of 'lesbian action,' you're in for a disappointment - that's barely part of the film at all.
8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one
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