The Lovely Bones Movie Review
By:Windy
By:Windy
Windy has been a busy girl this week. I don't know when she finds the time to write reviews for my site and work on her own .
We are so glad she is a part of the SandwichJohnFilms team.
“The Lovely Bones”, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Alice Sebold and directed by Peter Jackson, is the story about a family dealing with the crisis of their murdered 14-year old daughter, Susie Salmon, and her father’s hunt for her killer. Most of the story is told from Susie’s point of view after her murder, as she watches her family struggle to cope with her loss and search for her killer. She is stuck in what her younger brother refers to as “the in-between” – a place between Earth and heaven – because she refuses to let go of her family or her killer.
Susie, played by Saoirse Ronan (“Atonement”) gives a moving portrayal of a spirit running a gamut of emotions, starting with confusion, moving to fear, and ultimately release. In particular, her level of fear demonstrated through the strength of her screams (amplified with sound editing) when she realizes she is dead is real enough to send chills down your spine. Throughout the film, you feel what she feels and you, too, want her family to move on and her killer brought to justice just as much as she does.
Mark Wahlberg plays Jack Salmon, Susie’s father, who refuses to give up the search for her murderer. Wahlberg’s emotions are palpable throughout the film. You see sadness and desperation exuding from his eyes. He is one of the standouts among the cast. He develops chemistry with each character in the film, even strangers he approaches on the street to ask about his missing daughter.
Abigail Salmon, played by Rachel Weisz, leaves something to be desired from a motherly perspective. It’s not until Susie’s death that we really see her character break through. Up until that point, Weisz is unconvincing as Susie’s family-oriented, devoted mother. Unfortunately, as soon as she breaks through, she’s left with little screen time to let the character fully develop.
Something must be said about Susan Sarandon’s portrayal of Susie’s grandmother. Sarandon effectively portrays the light-sided character, bringing both laughs and a reality check to the family and the audience. She represents the “life” in the film. She is as vibrant as she is clueless about housecleaning. Each scene with Sarandon is truly enjoyable to watch.
George Harvey (the murderer), played by Stanley Tucci, is executed flawlessly. Tucci’s portrayal of a murdering pedophile is spot on, each scene more disturbing than the last. Even with slight groans or deep breaths, Tucci brings sheer disgust to his character portrayal. One might be so disturbed that you may shy away from him should you meet him in real life.
The film itself is colorful and full of life, despite the movie being about death and healing. Jackson accurately portrays the “in-between” with CGI. However, some of the “in-between” scenes are over-the-top and unnecessary. The superfluous scenes detract from the seriousness of the subject matter. These scenes also extend the movie beyond the length needed to effectively tell the story. The best use of CGI is when it is used to show Susie in the “in-between” and on Earth at the same time. The two worlds combine effortlessly and you get a true sense that Susie is with her family or her murderer, depending on the scene.
With fewer blatant and unnecessary CGI scenes and a more convincing Weisz performance, the film would have faired much better.
SPOILER ALERT Fun note: For people who have read the book and remember the ending in detail, watch for several scenes of foreshadowing throughout the film.
6 ½ sandwiches out of 10.
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