“Murder changes everything”
Swift shot: Magically disturbing and imaginative, The Lovely Bones redefines justice. The emotions are palpable, the suspense is terrifyingly effective, and you will be screaming at the screen. Immersion with this film is seamless, as you find yourself pulling for the characters on a gut level. It was similar to What Dreams May Come and The Lady in White – both incredibly powerful movies in their dealing with death and the people who really suffer – the living.
The effervescent Saoirse Ronan dons the knit-wool cap of Susie Salmon, a simple, yet passionate teen full of life whose curiosity is her ultimate demise. Susie is stuck in a bubble of the in-between, with her love of family and growing desire for revenge keeping her trapped in her perfect world.
With a passion for photography and life, Susie is a typical seventies teen, trying to gain attention and affections of her Moor, Ray (Reece Ritchie). But, on the day she is given a poem by him, she is murdered by Mr. Harvey (Stanley Tucci) – such a benign name for so terribly maleficent a character. Harvey is a perfectionist, a savant who excels at two things, carpentry and murder – using his best tools, manipulation and misdirection to subdue his prey.
Stalking his victims is almost as much fun as killing for him, in fact, killing is the climax of a great passionate romance played out in his twisted mind’s eye where misery and torment keep him warm at night. Tucci doesn’t need any special effects or a billion dollar budget to scare the hell out of you, just some blond hair and creepy contact-lenses transform him in a way not familiar in decades on film.
Susie is cleverly lured into his trap and after a painfully drawn-out sequence, where the loving family is juxtaposed with the snare set for her, she is destroyed, snuffed out, youth extinguished, in her prime. Only thoughtless, evil, bane creatures terminate the pure. Harvey will go down as one of the most reviled villains of the year. There is a bathtub scene that will give several audience members chilling nightmares. Well done, Jackson, I haven’t had an image burned into my psyche like that since Gollum – capturing darkness like that takes perverse desire, contrasting the darkness with the white light, remarkable.
The imagination of ideas to create Susie’s heaven and how it was portrayed on screen were defining moments for this film. Some critics might find this was overdrawn and cheesy, but at times that is exactly what a story needs, a little fromage, n’est pas? I particularly got emotionally invested when her father was destroying something that reminded him of his daughter in his world, and how that event played out in her heaven. Anyone who thinks that was too cheesy isn’t a parent – I can tell you that.
I found the characters meshed well, but it was clear to me that the film probably had to trim several characters down to mere plot-movers because of time constraints. Disclaimer: I haven’t read the book, nor did I know it even existed – as I have stated countless times, I am a viewer, not a reader, typically. So, I can’t stand up and claim it was lacking in any way against the written form of the story. But, really, that is the beauty of when a novel becomes a film – it is exposed to a whole new audience who might never have imagined such a creative way of exploring both justice and grief through the eyes of the murdered girl.
This one is going to raise some eyebrows, going to launch some careers and will be talked about for a long time for the pragmatic way it deals with justice versus revenge. I would highly recommend seeing this film in theaters too, be warned though, the darkness from this film will follow you home – pray that Mr. Harvey doesn’t follow you home too!
Thank you for your reference to "Lady in White". For anyone interested, please check out my new CD release at http://www.frankiegoestotuscany.com/.
Frank La Loggia
Finally sat down to watch this. I was so hesitant because the book is one of my favorites. Just like in all adaptations, the movie fell short of the book by excluding key characters and their relationships. The storyline of the book really follows Suzie's sister, Lindsey, in her journey of growing up in these horrific circumstances. Her relationship with her boyfriend Samuel is barely touched in the movie. Likewise, Ruth and Ray play a key part in the novel and they are just passing characters in the book. The scene where Suzie comes to Ray via Ruth is a total flop.
However, Stanley Tucci plays Mr. Harvey perfectly – creepy, not quite right, and the kind of guy who gives you the shivers when he opens his mouth. His character portrayal is by far the stand out performance of the movie.
The images of Suzie's heaven and in-between are beautiful but again miss the mark from the novel. It is hard to compare the two because I've read this book so many times and had my own visions of what it would look like. All in all the movie isn't bad, it just misses the intense feeling the characters give the novel.
Yea, movies rarely capture the immersion of books. Especially a book you have read countless times . . .
I was really waiting on your comments to see if I flopped on this review. Without reading the book though, as a stand alone film, it was interesting for me. I did notice I flattered it more than several of my peers – for whatever that is worth 🙂
This post was mentioned on Twitter by Richard Hawkesford.
Excellent review. The book is beautifully written and draws you in despite the disturbing topic and turn of events. I'm looking forward to seeing how Peter Jackson transforms this story onto the big screen. Excellent review.