The Dead Girl (2006)

I think most of the reviewers got a bit carried away here on IMDb, making it look like The Dead Girl was one of the best movies ever. I don't say it was a bad movie, not at all, it's certainly worth a watch, but it's not a masterpiece either. The acting is good, from everybody, but I didn't really like the concept of the story telling. For example if you like Toni Collette, like I do, you better be prepared watching her role in the beginning and then never see her again. I don't think that was a smart move in this movie. But that's how this movie works, you get to watch small independent stories about the event. I would have scored it a bit higher if it was not for the ending that I thought was weak. Other than that it's not a bad movie but we've all seen better.

Simple story told beautifully. Several tributaries that could cause confusion, but each character is real and crystal clear, and each actor plays the part to perfection.There are five sections, and in each the protagonist has a dilemma of making or breaking a connection to change their life - a fateful decision. That's a simplified description, and it's clear each sequence takes great skill.The key role is the dead girl - if she's not likable, then I guess the whole thing fails, and yet she has to be seriously flawed. Well, the actress got this spot on with charming volatility.But in the end it must be the director/writer who gets the praise.If there is one flaw it's maybe that the end trailed off gently. The randomness of death should be awesome, not just sad.ps. I recommend a smaller film, Toad Road - a similar story with different structure, but extra spookiness. Plus tragic real-life end for the lead actress.

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.

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.