Himmlische Kreaturen

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. (05.08.2002)

Ein kleiner Film, der es Peter ermöglicht hat, filmische Fähigkeiten sowie eine außergewöhnliche Flexibilität von Stimmungen und verschiedene Akzente zu entwickeln, wie kein anderes späteres Werk ... in gewissem Sinne ist dies meines Erachtens nach der Höhepunkt des neuseeländischen Zwerges. Dieser wunderbare Übergang vom einem rosafarbigen Tagebuch zur blutigen Ausgabe einer Psychopathologie Jugendlicher ist in ähnlicher Weise großartig wie die exzentrischen, jedoch vollkommen sanften Sprünge zwischen den Welten. Und Kate ist eine bezaubernde psychotische Gestalt par excellence. (06.12.2012)

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. (16.01.2007)

Himmlische Kreaturen fesselt den Zuschauer vor allem dank des schaurigen Themas, das auf einer wahren Geschichte beruht, und der großartigen Leistungen von Kate Winslet und Melanie Lynskey. In den Fantasysequenzen aus der vierten Welt fühlte ich mich manchmal an Jacksons spätere Filme erinnert (siehe Der Herr der Ringe oder In meinem Himmel) - schon damals hatte er einen ausgeprägten Sinn für fiktive Welten. Obwohl ich von Anfang an wusste, wie der Film enden würde, war ich trotzdem bis zum Schluss gespannt. (03.11.2019)

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. (22.06.2020)

The 1950s are promised for Peter Jackson and it's a great shame that he couldn't experience them himself. They are beautifully captured in his films, and the same goes for the film that takes place directly in the 50s. That era is reflected in all of his films that are not fantasy. He is equally fascinated by murders, but in the filmmaking sense of the word. At least I hope so. "Heavenly Creatures" is not as powerful of a film for me as his others, but there are still scenes that must amaze you. Especially the final one. (25.07.2014)

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. :)) (27.09.2010)