Lovely Bones, The

Director Peter Jackson steps away from the science fiction arena (Lord of the Rings trilogy and District 9) and enters the world of the paranormal with his latest film The Lovely Bones. Based on the book of the same name, written by Alice Sebold, Jackson wears many hats with this production including director, producer, and co-writer of the screenplay. The movie tells the story of Susie Salmon and her family after her murder. She is stuck in between earth and heaven and it is from this paranormal place that Susie must help her family catch her murderer. Jackson brings his amazing use of imagery and color to transport the viewer to this unknown place. The film is shot beautifully and many of the scenes are reminiscent of surrealist paintings.

Putting the eye candy aside, the storyline starts out very strong, but becomes muddled further into the movie. Jackson’s beautiful imagery gets lost in the plot as he takes the long way around in reaching the finale. There are many twists and turns with flashbacks as the full story of Susie’s murder unfolds. This mystery provides some suspenseful moments like the sister’s investigation into the home of their neighbor/suspect, but these emotion provoking instances are too few and far between. Upon watching the movie some scenes seem out of place or not important to the story, but eventually it all comes together.

One of the movie’s most redeeming qualities is Stanley Tucci’s outstanding performance as the neighbor suspected of Susie’s murder and is reason enough to see this film. His strengths as a character actor shine in this Oscar nominated role. Tucci embodies the characteristics of George Harvey, a closet serial killer who, on the surface, is a quiet and polite individual. Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, and Susan Sarandon all give good performances, but they are lost in the telling of the story. Over all Jackson makes a noteworthy attempt of taking the original novel and putting it on the big screen which can be a difficult task in itself. The Lovely Bones is a must-see for Peter Jackson fans or people who enjoyed the book, but for those with no previous knowledge of the story it is definitely one for the rental wish list.