The Lovely Bones (2009)

When 14-year-old Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) is murdered by a local pervert (Stanley Tucci), she watches her family as they deal with her tragic demise. Dad (Mark Walberg) seeks vengeance. Mom (Rachel Weisz) seeks healing. Her murderer is looking to strike again.

Told from the perspective of the deceased, The Lovely Bones is adapted from the best-selling book. Under the direction of Peter Jackson, the film is an unusual blend of elements.  It's brilliantly cast. Mark Walberg is remarkable as the tormented father. Susan Sarandon as the chain-smoking grandmother adds some levity. Rachel Weisz is sorely underused.   But Saoirse is phenomenal. Ultimately, it is her performance that you should see.

Here’s where it gets tricky. The CGI is amazing. It blends seamlessly throughout the film. But I think Jackson gets wrapped up executing an ‘epic’ and fails the film. He fails miserably. The nature of the film calls for an emotionality that never comes. The Lovely Bones loses itself in fantastical sequences where our doomed Suzie wanes philosophical.

I won’t go so far as to say I feel cheated by the film’s elusive climax. But it will be polarizing. As I see it, The Lovely Bones is a valiant effort by Jackson. But the film is unbalanced--too much CGI, not enough depth.  Sadly he misses the mark with this adaptation.