Virgin Suicides Soundtrack CD

Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides was based on Jeffrey Eugenides' novel of the five repressed, beautiful Lisbon sisters and the neighborhood boys who were mesmerized by them -- especially after the youngest sister, Cecelia, takes her own life. The film takes place in Michigan in the 1970s but is retold by the neighborhood boys as adults. The soundtrack replays the myriad emotions of adolescence and those of the Lisbon girls in particular. Tracks like Heart's "Magic Man" and "Crazy on You" reflect feminine sexuality in the mid-'70s, while 10cc's "I'm Not in Love" has an eerie, sedated feel. Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)" has a quaint, cheerful vibe despite its sadness; the Hollies' "The Air That I Breathe" and Sloan's "Everything You've Done Wrong" are sweet, pure proclamations; and Air's spacy "Playground Love (Vibraphone Version)" and "Ce Matin La" mirror the film's haunting, serene delicacy. ~ Gina Boldman
Sofia Coppola's adaptation of Jeffery Eugenides's novel THE VIRGIN SUICIDES uses music to heighten its ghostly, evocative atmosphere. This disc should not be confused with the one featuring the original score by Air (though that music is key to the ambience of the film as well). Instead, this set--subtitled MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE--contains mostly pop and rock songs from the mid-1970s (the time period of THE VIRGIN SUICIDES), and each feels chosen carefully for its nostalgic value, mood, and appropriateness to the imagery of the film.
Heart's "Magic Man," for example, (in addition to introducing the character of Trip Fontaine), seems to encapsulate the sexual tension of the film, and the expansive Hollies track "The Air That I Breathe" recalls the possibility and tragedy explored in the story. Likewise, Al Green's "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?" (written by the brothers Gibb) and 10CC's terribly sad "I'm Not In Love" reinforce the movie's wistful pathos. The only two cuts not from the '70s are by Air, though the band's breezy electronica fits in very well with the rest of the album.Entertainment Weekly (10/12/01, p.44) - Ranked #93 in EW's "100 Best Movie Soundtracks"
Q (9/00, p.116) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Soundtracked by the soft-rock giants of the ['70s] era....the satin bomber-jacketed likes of Heart, 10cc and Styx divide most of the spoils..."