By Mark Trammell
“The Lovely Bones” gets a lot of things right, but there’s something a bit off about it. Perhaps it comes from the unenviable task of making a film based on such a beloved bestseller, least of all one told in the perspective of a character that is dead from the onset. Not that it is without precedence. There’s the old Hollywood classic “Sunset Boulevard,” comedies like “Down to Earth” and even a show, “Dead Like Me” with a whole cast of dead folks that stuck around to tell a tale. “The Lovely Bones” is a much more serious affair, and that dark subject matter may chase away potential viewers.
The dead person in this tale is 14-year old Susie Salmon (Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan, “Atonement”), victim of a serial killer neighbor’s fixation. As played by Stanley Tucci- who was understandably hesitant to take on the role- George Harvey is a mild-manned, unassuming fellow… and creepy as all get out.
Those who read the book and were understandably horrified at the graphic nature of Susie’s murder will be relieved to know that the film tones down the events considerably. Others may complain that director Peter Jackson took the safe route in this adaptation, but do we really need to see it to understand how horrible it is? Besides, look at the hubbub the movie “Hounddog,” which featured a similar scene involving Dakota Fanning, caused. No one wants to see that- or should. So, I applaud Jackson’s creative decision.
On the other hand, in his decision to make his “between-world” a little too pretty, he maybe goes a bit too far in the other direction. Since the entire film is told from someone who is deceased at the beginning of the story already, that means Susie is stuck in a limbo-like existence, unable to ascend to heaven because her murderer has not been caught yet. Jackson makes the world so cool and nifty-looking, you can understand why no one would want to leave! Not exactly what author Alice Sebold had in mind, I’m guessing.
That said, the world really is spectacular, like a big-budget version of the fantasy world featured in Jackson’s previous, somewhat similar effort, “Heavenly Creatures.” Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie is a shoe-in for Oscar consideration, as are the F/X creators, the people at WETA Digital. They should be, as Peter Jackson was directly involved in founding the studio, to accommodate his extensive CGI needs for his classic “Lord of the Rings” (which gets a nod in “Bones”) trilogy. Jackson himself pops up in the movie, in a cheeky cameo as a camera enthusiast in a photo shop, appropriately enough. The film also boasts excellent score work by no less than new wave pioneer Brian Eno, and makes excellent use of 80’s acts the Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil.
Ultimately, how you feel about the film as a whole probably depends on your attachment to the book. In addition to the shiny happy dream-world he creates, Jackson almost sadistically changes certain events from the book that makes the material (perhaps) unintentionally crueler, such as the parents not knowing for a fact that their child is dead for a fact as early as in the book. This is an odd change, and though it perhaps makes the ending a bit more dramatic, the film manages that quite fine on its own in an almost unbearably tense moment where someone snoops around for evidence in the killer’s house while he’s not there…and he comes home unexpectedly early. Don’t they all? The scene is on a near par with a similar closing sequence in “Silence of the Lambs,” another film that lost key elements in the transition from book to screen that angered fans.
Thankfully, as with that film, this film is saved by the considerable efforts of a skillful director and a top-notch group of actors, all in fine form. Mark Wahlberg, here as the wrecked father of Susie, just keeps getting better as he goes along, and recently-single cougar Susan Sarandon provides the film with a few good chuckles in a film that could use some. Largely, though, its Ronan’s show, and she meets the challenge with a beautifully-rendered performance that deserves Oscar consideration of its own, though only Tucci has gotten much Award love thus far. He’s up for the Golden Globe and SAG’s awards already, in fact, as Best Supporting Actor.
It’s a solid-if-decisive effort, and though not everyone will agree on how well the film captures the spirit of the book, it’s got enough good things in it to recommend, particularly in regards to the special effects, which won’t be nearly as good on a small screen as they are in theatres, if the dark subject matter doesn’t scare them away.
