Review of The Lovely Bones (2009) by Timm S — 04 Apr 2014

Any film that holds my attention has to be pretty good as I tend to get bored easily especially with Hollywood extravaganzas that rely heavily on moving quickly past transparent or silly plot devices to the next bit of action in the hope you won't notice they "cheated" on the story.

While in true Hollywood tradition the villian gets his comeuppance, it must be noted that's how the book ends too. Aside from that, the film seems to portray the emotional damage a family might go through after such a loss very effectively.

Wahlberg proves he really can act and does it without taking off any clothes. Surely this film will legitimize his career choice for any remaining doubters. The fantasy sequences are worthy of the director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy but the humanism and emotional depth and breadth of the piece show that Jackson is no one trick pony either.

Next time you're in the mood for a tear jerker with a gratfying ending, you could do far worse than stream or rent The Lovely Bones or catch it on HBO.