aquascape
Movies that have different storytelling techniques are always appealing to watch and "The Dead Girl" does it by segmenting the narrative structure into five chapters, all inter-connecting in the end. You definitely need to have a well-written script for even attempting such a film and I think that is where it falls a bit flat."The Dead Girl" tells the story young girl, played by the regretted Brittany Murphy, who is murdered and shows us the different people that were affected by or were directly affecting the death of the girl. The premise sounds stunning and the acting is astounding from the likes of a hugely talented cast, Brittany Murphy, Toni Collette, Giovanni Ribisi or Marcia Gay Harden just to name a few.
Some segments made sense and were better than other, but there were a couple that simply didn't work out in my opinion."The Dead Girl" has an interesting take on the murder mystery genre but it's just not that entertaining in the long haul. I have seen a lot of praises for it, each to his or her valid opinions, but it just did not captivate me enough to say that it's a great movie.
Chrysanthepop
Karen Moncrieff's 'The Dead Girl' tells the harrowing tale of five women whose fractured lives are affected by the discovery of a dead girl. There's the fragile and abused Arden (Toni Collette) who discovers the body, the tormented Leah (Rose Byrne) the medical examiner of the body, frustrated Ruth (Mary-Beth Hurt), the wife of the man who murdered the girl, a concerned Melora, mother of the dead girl and the title girl (Brittany Murphy) desperate to get presents to her daughter.Moncrief is a fine storyteller and she does it with profound depth. She grabs the viewers attention from the very beginning and manages to keep the film under control without sensationalizing the story. Her subtle writing and direction are exceptional. She divides the story into five chapters and she takes the method of non-linear storytelling to a new level. At first she starts off by showing us the perspective of the stranger who is only linked to the girl in the title because she found her mutilated body. Then she shows us the point of view of the medical examiner, followed by the killer's wife, mother and the girl in question. There is a lyrical quality in the way these five sad stories are portrayed. The score is efficiently used.'The Dead Girl' additionally shines with one of the finest ensembles that delivers poignant performances. Toni Collette, Rose Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, Piper Laurie, Mary Beth Hurt, Brittany Murphy, Kerry Washington, Mary Steenburgen, James Franco, Josh Brolin and Giovanni Ribisi are astonishing in their portrayal of broken people.'The Dead Girl' is a frightening, sad, poignant and beautifully crafted little film about shattered lives and their longing for something different. The haunting fade-out in the end lingers in the questioning mind.
arisdisc
Does anyone really read the 'last' pages of these reviews? I'll take that chance, and simply say that I agree with most folks in here regarding this fine film.Just got a chance to see it last night and in a word, this movie is simply: Outstanding.The performances are flawless and there isn't a single scene that doesn't ring true. It grabs you emotionally and never lets go. The fine score is equally effective.Do yourself a favor. Put this high on your list if you haven't seen it yet and do so very soon.
lilmoneyfunds
I would have given this movie a 9 had it not been for the ending (or lack-there-of). The entire movie, except the ending, was great. The acting is some of the best I've seen in a while, and the script is excellent. The movie has this slowly unfolding story, with dark undertones, and doesn't rely on a cheesy soundtrack to creep you out, nor does it have room for over-acting. The whole story is building up to the climax... but it never comes! Where the climax should be- the movie just ends. The only complaint I have about this movie is indeed the ending. See- you have this story... told from 5 different points of view. The Stranger, the Sister, the Wife, the Mother, and The Dead Girl. The movie begins at the end, and then flashes back on all of these characters' personal story as it pertains to the murder of this girl. All of the stories stop at a certain point and simply move on to the next person's POV. This is to be expected in these sort of Quentin Tarantino types of story lines that start at the end, and flash back to the beginning. The thing is these types of story lines all end up at a certain point, and then the ending is usually explained as a whole, and all loose ends are tied up. This never happens in this story line, and it leaves you wandering.... why did they end the movie HERE? To me it made no sense. For this reason and this reason only, I gave it a 6 instead of a 9, because for me they left out the best part.
AD
