Best known for his CGI epics (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) and darkly comic splatterfests (Brain Dead, Bad Taste), superstar director Peter Jackson now returns to dramatic subject matter not explored since 1994's Heavenly Creatures.
The Lovely Bones is set in Pennsylvania in the 1970s. It tells the story of a young girl, Susie Salmon (Atonement's Saoirse Ronan), who is brutally raped and murdered. She watches the impact of the events on her family, and murderer, from the afterlife. Jackson has assembled an all-star cast to play out the thriller, including Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon and Stanley Tucci.
Peter Jackson’s extravagant adaptation of Alice Sebold’s novel doesn’t have quite the emotional impact one might hope for, namely due to the twin narrative strands of heartfelt family bonding and grisly serial killing remaining at odds with each other. Rather than leaving the cinema feeling uplifted, you might be creeped out.
The material has Jackson’s fingerprints all over it; bold camera movements, traces of horror and a showman’s gift for staging sequences. Jackson’s penchant for black humour means that psychopathic villain Mr Harvey (Stanley Tucci in “I’m a paedophile” makeup) is the most charismatic character. At times Jackson ratchets up the macabre, particularly effectively in an amazing sequence revealing the resting places of previous murder victims.
But it’s the overly calculated attempt at wringing out drama from the proceedings that feels phoney. Wahlberg and Weisz are given undeveloped roles, while lead character Susie narrates the happenings on earth with cloying earnestness. As it’s his interpretation of the source material, Jackson apes Vincent Ward’s What Dreams May Come in a highly computerised and slightly naff tableau of dreamscapes; part teletubbies, part NZ tourism advertisement.
Brian Eno’s plinkety-plonk keyboard soundtrack is relentless but the inclusion of songs from the ‘70s period is awesome. The Lovely Bones might have benefitted from a lighter touch but kudos to Jackson for trying something on a smaller, more personal, scale. His visually imaginative but emotionally under-developed drama at least strikes a unique tone.
By Andrew Hedley, Flicks.co.nz
We've come to expect more of the director of BRAINDEAD and those little known Hobbit movies. Visually splendid, yet unengaging, this film version has none of the poer of the original novel. The CGI "heaven" scenes look like Robin Williams' oil painted paradise in WHAT DREAMS MAY COME (another Kiwi directed movie). Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon have little to do. Saoirse Ronan and Stanley Tucci are, as expected, superb and Titirangi-born Rose McIver is great. Sadly though, despite a few standout moments (the dread of Tuci's underground lair, the shipwreck of ships in bottles), the overall effect is underwheming - even on repeated viewings. It is a film that is seemingly set on spreading a message of "hope" that transcends death... But somewhere in there, the humanity (oh the humanity!) just gets, well... lost.
Depressing. Sad. But awesome!
The beginning was abit slow, but you need to understand the relationships to understand the whole story of the movie. I have not cried so much since Titanic. I loved this movie. It makes you think how lucky you are to have family and friends. I would highly recommend for a girls night xxxxx
This movie is sad but really captured the events well. good job me!
I read the book twice - the first time I hated it and the second time it grew on me. I was looking forward to seeing the movie, but felt some trepidation after hearing the test audience complain it was gory enough (I've seen Bad Taste - I was expecting the worst, especially of the murder.) I was however, very relieved. The depiction of Susie's heaven was amazingly done, and following the family as they cope (or not) with the murder was very intense. I recommend the movie, although I would read the book as well to complete the full picture.
I'll be honest, I'm in two minds about this one, I enjoyed the movie and some sections were classic Peter Jackson, but I was left feeling it could have been so much more.
It's fair to say that this is a quality bit of work.
Like “The Lord Of The Rings,” The Lovely Bones does a fantastic job with revered, complex source material. As terrific on terra firma as it is audacious in its astral plane, it is doubtful we’ll see a more imaginative, courageous film in 2010.
Jackson and his team tell a fundamentally different story. It's one that is not without its tension, humor and compelling details. But it's also a simpler, more button-pushing tale that misses the joy and heartbreak of the original.
All this is conveyed in the remarkable performance of Ronan, an Oscar nominee for Atonement. She and Tucci -- magnificent as a man of uncontrollable impulses -- help Jackson cut a path to a humanity that supersedes life and death.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Saturday, 26th Dec 2009.
Release date: December 26th 2009.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
