Review: The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones takes place in Everytown, USA, during the early '70s where the murder of young girl breaks a family apart and rocks a small town. Little do they know, their daughter is just beyond the ethereal plane, but not yet heaven, watching over them trying to guide them to her killer. Her killer being an unassuming neighbor with dark secrets and hidden past.

The Lovely Bones is a big heap of disappointment. What seemed like a poignant, other worldly thriller never could find its pacing or tone bouncing back and forth between genres. At one point, a murder mystery where a desperate father is trying to find clues that would lead him to the evil slayer who is so close. At another point, it is an introspective family drama where the pieces caused by this tragic loss are clumsily put back together. Last but not least, is the fantasy world just beyond reality where Suzie Salmon's (the victim) imagination comes to life. Separately, they are mildly effective in their intention, but together they are a poorly constructed final product undermining Peter Jackson's grand reputation.

The cast looks great. Young up and comer Saoirse Ronan showed promise elsewhere, but her she trips up on the narration. She never feels invested in the plot. This is especially problematic when the plot revolves around her character. Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon are proven professionals, but they never seem to find rythm here. Sarandon's goofy montage midway through the movie was a tension killer on the same scale of "Raindrops Falling on my Head" in Butch and Sundance. I find it ironic that I just assumed they would perform admirably, but it was Mark Wahlberg who performed past expectations considering he is more known for being loud and violent. As the emotionally bruised father, he adds a level of sympathy that no one else could. And then of course there is Stanley Tucci, as the sick, perverted killer. He excels in spades. His dark, calculating villain is one of the more fearsome villains in years. Like a shark in open water. Most of the time, you would never see him coming until it is too late. This is why when he makes his move on Suzie and the most important clue is found and seems neither cunning or calculating, undermining his character completely.

The ending is completely unsatisfying. It puts far too much faith in childhood crushes, and the epilogue involving the final fate of the killer, years later, seems tacky and unnecessary.

Wahlberg and Tucci perform awesomely, and the visuals are very striking, but the rest of the talent struggle to the end, and the plot and pacing never finds its balance.

4/10