THE LOVELY BONES
CAROLINE: I’ve really been looking forward to seeing “The Lovely Bones” for months now, having read the book many years ago and knowing what an amazing story it is. Plus I was interested to see what Peter Jackson would do with the movie since he’s mostly done fantasy lately.
RYAN: I did not read this book, and I’m glad of it because let’s be honest, the movie’s never as good as the book. It stars Saoirse Ronan who we loved in “Atonement” and “City of Ember.”
CAROLINE: She’s just incredible, and she’s probably the best thing about this film. She’s a remarkable young actress. Her American accent is flawless.
RYAN: She’s a revelation. It’s almost like if you took Meryl Streep and turned her into a child, she’d be Saoirse Ronan. It’s like, “Dakota who?”
CAROLINE: Seriously. I look forward to seeing her in many movies to come. BTW why hasn’t she been in any of the Harry Potter movies? She’s not British, but close enough. Maybe she’s too young.
RYAN: Stanley Tucci is also incredible. He’s playing a bad guy for the first time – that I can remember, anyway – and it’s amazing how much you hate him in this movie. He’s ruthless and heinous.
CAROLINE: He’s horrifying. His early scenes are so well edited. They show off his creepiness really well.
RYAN: Oh, and his laugh! It’s just despicable. Susan Sarandon and her hair are also fab. Her hair’s like another character. It’s a brilliant period film. They captured the ’70s brilliantly, without looking like they were trying too hard. The costumes and the sets were all very natural.
CAROLINE: Yeah, it reminded me of “The Ice Storm” in that way. Having said all this, I didn’t love this movie. I liked many things about it, but it’s so devastatingly sad that I spent at least 15 minutes in a full-on cry. My face was wet. It was unpleasant.
RYAN: I didn’t cry, but I went to a bad place in my head. I was very unhappy. It’s one of the most heartbreaking films I can remember.
CAROLINE: The art direction and the effects are amazing too.
RYAN: Yeah, there’s a major sci-fi/fantasy element since Saoirse’s character, Susie Salmon, is caught between Heaven and life. That’s where Peter Jackson really shines. I also want to talk about the parents, Rachel Weisz and Mark Wahlberg.
CAROLINE: Don’t forget that Ryan Gosling was originally going to play the dad… until he got canned. Or left the movie. Something weird happened.
RYAN: Well, I thought Rachel and Mark were phenom. They’re two of the best actors working today. They had great chemistry and they both looked great in the film; but I kind of wanted more from them.
CAROLINE: Totally! They were really underused, especially Rachel Weisz. I know she would have been capable of so much more if they’d just given it to her. Mr. Jackson could have focused less on Susie’s afterlife and more on the parents trying to find her killer.
RYAN: They both had great ’70s hair. I think they should keep that hair for their real lives. And the girl who plays the younger sister was great too.
CAROLINE: She has one outstanding scene that was so intense. I was holding my breath the whole time. But this is a movie that’s kind of tough to recommend because of its subject matter. Most people don’t want to see a movie about a horrible murderer of little girls.
RYAN: It’s pretty well paced, albeit a little slow moving. I was engaged the whole time though, and I was really into the fantasy aspect. It weaves pretty well back and forth between the two worlds.
CAROLINE: I was fully into this movie, and completely emotionally engaged, but I wasn’t really enjoying myself because it was so upsetting.
RYAN: Yeah, I walked out of the theater just feeling down. It’s not like some sad movies where the ending is uplifting.
— BOTTOM LINE —
CAROLINE: I really liked a lot of things about this movie. The acting is phenomenal, the era is captured beautifully, like you said and the story is told really well. But it’s really hard to take. You certainly shouldn’t see it if you’ve recently lost a loved one. I almost wondered why this needed to be made into a movie. It’s very well made, but it’s so devastating. Watching this is like torture.
RYAN: Some people love crying at sad movies the way others love being scared at horror movies, so if that’s you, you’ll like this movie. For the rest of us, I’d say it’s not a waste of time because it’s gorgeous and poignant and moving and effective; but it’s just painful. Saoirse’s narration is amazing, by the way. I liked this movie and I think it’s worth seeing; but only for people who think they can handle it.
— RATING —
