My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.

So begins The Lovely Bones, based on the book of the same name.  The book that made Alice Sebold a literary sensation is being retold as a feature film at the hands of Peter Jackson.  Jackson of course is the genius behind such visionaries as Heavenly Creatures and Lord of the Rings.  His imagination knows no bounds and that again is as evident as ever with bones.  I have read the book a few times now as it quickly became one of my favourites.  It was like nothing I had read before and just made all the right moves in terms of originality and storytelling.  The film I am thankful to say does the same.  

The Lovely Bones centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family – and her killer – from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.  Oscar nominee Mark Wahlberg and Oscar winners Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon star along with Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli and Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan.

Like LOTR, I’m sure that Jackson will come under fire for his portrayal of “the in-between”; a place made famous since the book.  Not quite heaven and not quite earth.  The book does a good job at describing this place but leaves the reader to make it look like whatever they want.  Tolkien made Middle Earth and when Jackson recreated it, everyone became a critic.  Lovely Bones looks amazing.  If you remember what heaven looked like in What Dreams May Come; then you know what some artists can do.  You have to see this to believe it; sometimes haunting and sometimes gorgeous, the in-between is near perfect and puts a face to the book.

You do not have to read the book to enjoy this movie, you can be assured there.  Read the book for the book and see this movie because you love movies.  My only qualm with this film is I wish I saw more of Susie after her death.  Saorise Ronan plays Susie with such innocence you are truly drawn to everything she says or does.  It’s short lived.  What might counter that is the performance by Stanley Tucci as killer George Harvey.  His mannerisms and eyes tell it all; his itch kills. 

Getting the itch...

The film opens with a scene with Susie’s dad played by Mark Wahlberg saying to her about a penguin in an snow globe above the TV;   ‘Don’t worry, Susie; he has a nice life. He’s trapped in a perfect world.  Susie’s father says this to her about the penguin when she worries about him. It turns out that she is right; small creatures, like herself, do get hurt when their world is turned upside down.  Welcome Lovely Bones to the short list of films that can take material and make it their own while still staying true to the source.  What a way to open the New Year.  [Trailer] 

4 out of 5 ships in a bottle