Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving disturbing violent content and images, and some language.
135 Minutes
Directed By: Peter Jackson
Written By: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens
Staring: Mark Wahlberg, Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Jake Abel, Rose McIver, Michael Imperioli, Reece Richie, Nikki SooHoo
Review:
Peter Jackson has taken on yet another interesting journey. This time it is based on another best selling book entitled The Lovely Bones. The book and film are about a young girl named Susie Salmon who is murdered by a neighborhood man played by Stanley Tucci. It follows Susies attempts at reconnecting with her family from the other side as they try to piece their lives back together.
I feel that this movie was a little too long for my liking. I found myself drifting off in thought at times while watching. I think you will find that is necessary though because the film does a good job of character development and staying true to the book from what I have heard. The book is much more graphic from those that I have spoken with who have read it.
I found the film to be very graphic in itself and hard to stomach at times. I think part of it is knowing what happened while you see the families turmoil. As an audience you are privy to a lot of information that the characters do not have which is very unique. Part of what makes this film work is the nice mix of the ghost world where Susie is and attempting to communicate with her family. The music is beautiful and very moving and is a great addition to the film. I love the way that it adds to the beauty and creepiness of the film.
Peter Jackson has a wonderful knack for creating environments that are beautiful and whimsical and yet at the same time terrifying and dark. The world that Susie inhabits for the majority of the film is this type of landscape. The film takes place as was shot in Pennsylvania and there is a great attention to detail to meet the needs of the 70′s with the clothing and the houses and cars. Living in the Northeast I can attest to the fact that driving through many neighborhoods is like taking a drive back in time.
Stanley Tucci is a truly great actor and his is another successful part of the film because he is able to embody a truly scary murderer. The most unsettling part is that you get to go inside the mind of a killer and get glimpses of how this particular killer plans his attack which is very unsettling. Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz are very believable as husband and wife and have good chemistry on screen. Susan Sarandon’s character is wonderful as the grandmother who is an alcoholic and chain smoker and continues to try to stay young and dispense advice.
The Bottom Line:
The color and magic of the The Lovely Bones does not do enough to take the audience out of the creepy world of the serial killer making me a little bit uncomfortable. The film was a little long for my taste and I found myself bored at times. I think that you should wait until this is out on DVD before viewing. All in all I was left with a bad feeling after watching this movie. I could not stop thinking about it which usually would be good but in this case was unsettling.
The reception for this is so lukewarm and that’s so depressing for me considering how brilliant Peter Jackson is. I really wanted a win for Mark Wahlberg as well because I’m a fan, but this isn’t getting much attention aside from the performances but Tucci and the little girl.
I just watched this the other day. Stanley gave me the willies, and I felt my heart being mashed into pieces that the little dead girl was content to keep suffering instead of going to heaven, although I suppose it’s human nature to want the best for our loved ones, and dwell on the hope that things will turn out for the best. She didn’t trust in the universe, even though it proved in the end that it sees all.
I didn’t hate the movie, but I don’t know if I’d watch it again, especially considering the subject matter. “Murder changes everything.” Even the feelings of the audience.
Good review.
I am glad you enjoyed the movie. I agree, I do not think that I could watch this movie again it is so unsettling. Glad you liked the review!
People were tearing this movie apart. When I saw the movie, it wasn’t horrible. There were some good parts with Tucci, Ronan, the killer planning his attack and the younger sister in the his house.
The movie was a mess. It could have been great, but it failed with the psychedelic “In-Between” sequences.
THATS DUMB THIS MOVIE WAS GREAT AND I DON’T LIKE SITTING THROUGH LONG MOVIES BUT IT WAS WORTH IT YA THERE WERE SOME UNSETTLING PARTS BUT WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT THIS MOVIE IS ABOUT A GIRL BEING MURDERD…IT’S ALSO BUEATIFUL A GIRL ON A CUEST TO FIND HER KILLER AND TOO CONNECT TO HER PARENTS…I REALLY LIKE THIS MOVIE..
This film was a huge disappointment except for Tucci who takes creeping to a whole new level.
I loved the book. I cannot remember another movie which I found so paralyzing boring. I watched it on Pay-per-view and fast-forwarded at least 20% of it. Heaven or what ever t was looked like very BAD effort at Disney. Why was it so terrible?
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