The Film: The Lovely Bones (WingNut Films, 2009). Directed by Peter Jackson. Written by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Michael Imperioli.Pictured: Stanley Tucci's Mr. Harvey, builder of doll houses, in The Lovely Bones.
This, That & The Other: Poor Peter Jackson. Once you've directed The Lord of the Rings trilogy, what else can you do to top it? Well, The Lovely Bones does not offer much in the way of competition. It is a garden variety fusion film - part fantasy, part murder mystery (even though you know whodunnit), part suspense. The reason to see this film is Stanley Tucci, whose deliciously sinister bad guy completely steals the show. I've loved Tucci since his magical film Big Night - a true masterpiece in every sense of the word. Tucci is magnificent in The Lovely Bones. He stands out so far and so above everybody else in the film that all the rest of his fellow actors appear to be sleepwalking. Tucci's thoroughly disturbed George Harvey is a fully realized film character - fastidious yet mumbly, sinister and, at the same time, tragic. If there is any justice, The Lovely Bones ought to finally net him the Oscar he is long overdue to receive. The rest of the characters? Mostly cardboard cutouts. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of Saoirse Ronan, the sour-faced younger sister of Keira Knightley's character in Atonement. Of course, Ronan was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Atonement, and maybe should have won it. Her character in The Lovely Bones - Susie Salmon - is much more likable, yet her melodramatic narration is extremely grating after a while. Only Tucci and Ronan manage to elevate The Lovely Bones to something slightly compelling. Once you walk out of the theater, you will pretty much forget everybody else in the movie.
The Bottom Line: I can't say I loved this film, but I quite enjoyed it and it kept me watching to the end. The CGI effects were thought-provoking yet limited. The screenplay contained no flagrant shortcomings, but there weren't any memorable lines to speak of. The film's suspenseful moments will make you grip your armrest. As I said, it cannot be easy for Peter Jackson to live in the shadow of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. His 2005 King Kong was admirable and had some spectacular moments, but, on subsequent viewings, it doesn't hold up quite as well. He also produced last year's slightly overrated District 9, a political/allegorical science fiction film set in South Africa. Like King Kong, D9 was compelling (and it was much more original than Kong), yet it wasn't really Jackson's film, despite the name association. The Lovely Bones will not be studied decades from now, the way The Lord of the Rings will. But it still has much going for it. It beautifully recreates suburban America the early 1970s, in a way that few films do. It rattles the nerves in certain scenes. There are interesting touches of existentialism and spirituality throughout the film. And the diabolical Mr. Tucci lights up the screen every time he is on it.
These factors made it worth the price of admission.
No comments:
Post a Comment