Review of The Lovely Bones (2009) by Clara M — 06 Jun 2012

I was reluctant to watch this film as I loved the book and didn't want the story ruined for me if the film was awful. Saoirse Ronan made sure that this didn't happen for me, she is brilliant as usual - there are a lot of Oscars in that girl's future! The opening scenes filling us in on the background are fine, as is the lead-up to the main event (that being the attack and murder of Suzy Salmon). The only jarring thing in this section of the film was the casting of Ray Singh - he was bizarrely dressed like a jazzy scat-cat singer and looked about 30 to Suzy's 14.

When the film flips to the CGI dramatics of Suzy's afterlife was where it went all.

Pear-shaped for me. Instead of going so completely over the top (this wasn't one of your beloved fantasy novels, Mr Jackson!) it would have suited the film much more to have the odd glimpse of the afterlife, with the main detail filled in by the narrative of Suzy in voice-over (a la Desperate Housewives, perhaps?).

But no, here we are treated to what looks like a Director run riot with the special effects sweetie-jar, rather spoiling a wonderful story. Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz are fine, if not inspired or bringing anything special to the table in return for their massive pay-days. Their roles could have given some work to lesser know actors instead. And while Stanley Tucci seems to ascribe to the overdone 'Silence of the lambs' killer school, I'm not going to criticise him because I'm biased and I love him!

Overall, kudos to Saorise and to the underlying story, but pouring less money into the CGI and into overblown lead actors could have resulted in cheaper, simpler, and more effective celluloid telling of one of the best book of the noughties.