Peter Jackson’s latest pict, The Lovely Bones, is a fairly winded film about a girl who’s brutally murdered and hangs on to life in the sweet spot right between heaven and earth. The girl, Susie Salmon, is played by Saoirse Ronan , that little girl from Atonement who is semi-grown up now and is without a doubt a breakthru shining light in this otherwise haphazard tale of death, revenge and family.
Mark Walburg plays Daddy Salmon, Rachel Weisz plays Momma Salmon, Susan Sarandon plays Granny Salmon and Stanley Tucci plays Mr. Harvey the serial killing murder who haunts Susie’s otherworldly home.
Foreshadowing plays a major role in the movie, with Susie’s regular narrations coming in to provide insights on her thoughts after death, giving us clues as to the who and why of her death and later paving the way for the Salmon family to heal in the consolation of finding out the cause and reason for her death.
I’m mostly at a loss as to whether or not I would suggest this movie to a friend as most of the drama is expected and the few areas of suspense are provided through little build-up. Susie dies, the family mourns, breaks apart, and finally come back together with time as their only comforter. The murderer remains mostly unaffected by the destructive nature of his act and further villafies himself by forming an uncontrollable murder lust for Susie’s younger sister.
His unstoppable murderous desire makes him a true catalyst in the story, bringing to the screen a calculated and truly animalistic beast that is played flawlessly by Tucci. Definitely one of this actors most prized performances to date, Mr. Harvey is at times a trustworthy neighbor you wouldn’t have too much a problem leaving your kids with, but then becomes a sickening beast, finding disgusting delight in the torture of his victims. Totally creeptastic, and his comb-over really doesn’t help.
Much of what I expected from this film were amazing visuals and Peter Jackson doesn’t fail to provide. His interpretation of this mid-heaven is spectacular with big bright visually engaging, screen filling scenes taking over much of the picture. A fantasy like scene in which Susie can engage in her every desire is quite inspiring, providing the viewer with a kinder understanding of her place in death, an endless-world of unlimited potential in which even those who arrive in the most grisly terms can come to enjoy and eventually forget. Truly worth seeing for a little hope of what’s to come.
In the final scenes, you are expected to come to terms with the death of Susie Salmon, she in many ways gets what she wants, but still the movie ends in the most melancholy way, with the flaming build up of scenes past leading to the mere flickering out of a candle, but all and all the stories message shines through, that while revenge is often what we seek when tragedy strikes, in truth, and for most, it’s not the most satisfying of meals.
( source: fashionindie.com )
( source: fashionindie.com )
I. CAN'T. WAIT.
