"My name is Salmon, like the fish. First name Susie. I was fourteen years old when I was murdered." So begins The Lovely Bones, Peter Jackson's adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel. Susie is played by Saoirse Ronan, who was Oscar-nominated for her work in Atonement and is wonderful here. She is Irish, but her American accent is absolutely perfect.
Performances and Characters
Susie is murdered by a neighbour, Mr Harvey, played by Stanley Tucci. There may not be a more horrible character in films this year. He is a dangerous, perverted murderer, and when the full extent of his crimes comes to light the audience will utterly recoil. It's not much of a spoiler to say that he gets what's coming to him, but many people are likely to think he deserved worse. Stanley Tucci was Oscar-nominated for his performance, and described the role as "the perfect example of the banality of evil."
Rachel Weisz and Mark Wahlberg as Susie's parents don't really have all that much to do. Rachel Weisz especially gets shortchanged, as the role of Susie's mother in the book is much greater and deeper. Rose McIver, an unknown actress, plays Susie's younger sister Lindsay and she's rather good.
The only moments of humour in the film come from Susie's grandmother, Lynn, played by Susan Sarandon. She's a smoker, an alcoholic, and the only thing that manages to just about hold the remaining family members together. "I don't believe in heaven," Susie's toddler brother says when he is told Susie's there. "Alright then, she's dead," Lynn says. Whether it was intended or not, it's very, very black humour.
Beautiful Computer Graphics
The film really should have been a bit longer- it would have allowed for more character development and for more scenes from the book. Quite a lot of time is spent in Susie's heaven, or 'in-between'- a beautiful display of CGI. It may in fact be worth seeing this movie for the beauty of it alone.
The Lovely Bones is a good adaptation of a fantastic book, with two fantastic performances from Ronan and Tucci, but it falls just short of being a great one. It doesn't quite have the same feeling as the book, the same joy at being alive. It fits in most of the story, but there's something lost in the translation from page to screen. What that is is hard to say. Perhaps there's not enough time spent with the people on Earth- Susie's classmate Ruth (Carolyn Dando), who is psychic and senses Susie's murder, could have used more screen time too. The ending involves her, but, unlike in the book, it's a little confusing.
How about a special extended edition, Peter Jackson?
Sarah Barrett - Sarah Barrett is a relatively new writer, but looks forward to seeing where her writing takes her. She loves books, films, and British TV, ...
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