The Lovely Bones follows the story of Susie Salmon, a young teenage girl who is raped and murdered by a neighbor. Instead of fully passing on to the afterlife, she finds herself in an in between heavenly realm where she watches over her loved ones as they cope with her murder in various ways. The film is based upon the popular novel by Alice Sebold.
When I saw The Lovely Bones I hadn't read the novel. I've heard that the novel has a lot of heart and there is life to the characters. This is not quite the case with the film. Peter Jackson did a wonderful job of casting Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon who did a wonderful job in her given role. At times, though, the other characters feel shallow and distant without as much heart as they require. Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weiss are parents who care but we as the audience don't feel it as much as we should. The subplots don't feel quite right and the world sometimes feels too disjointed to relate completely to either.
However, where some of the performances fail the visual style and soundtrack succeed. The Lovely Bones is a masterfully shot work of art, often reminiscent of segments from "What Dreams May Come." Peter Jackson creates a vivid afterlife that is magnificent to look upon while still keeping the contrast of the living world. The soundtrack is surreal and sentimental and works well for its story. Although at times disappointing, The Lovely Bones is an intriguing film. Unfortunately it is perhaps a story that does not work so well for the big screen and continues to help us realize that literature is still a highly critical storytelling medium.
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