When I first read that Peter Jackson was working on an adaptation of The Lovely Bones, I was glad that he was venturing towards projects that were considerably different from the epic fantasies that had propelled him to stardom in the US. However, upon seeing the bloated mess that this film is, I'm beginning to think that Jackson is a better craftsman than he is a storyteller.
That's not to say that the film is without its merits. The cast does a reasonably good job of bringing to life the somewhat leaden novel that the film is based on. Some of the sequences are filmed with the same nail-biting suspense and unflinching mastery you would expect from the director of modern cinema's most successfully audacious epic trilogy.
However, the film also heavily suffers from trite voice-overs, a flaccid script, and an uneven tone (one minute you're sympathizing for the grieving family, next minute there's a comic montage involving the grandmother; one minute it's a suspenseful break-in, next it's a tearful reunion).
And then there's Jackson's relentless reliance on CGI that does precious little to move the story forward. Do we really need to see an extended sequence showing a celestial Suzie modeling new outfits or bopping to beats on an over-sized record?
A disappointing return to cinema from one of its greatest auteurs.
That's not to say that the film is without its merits. The cast does a reasonably good job of bringing to life the somewhat leaden novel that the film is based on. Some of the sequences are filmed with the same nail-biting suspense and unflinching mastery you would expect from the director of modern cinema's most successfully audacious epic trilogy.
However, the film also heavily suffers from trite voice-overs, a flaccid script, and an uneven tone (one minute you're sympathizing for the grieving family, next minute there's a comic montage involving the grandmother; one minute it's a suspenseful break-in, next it's a tearful reunion).
And then there's Jackson's relentless reliance on CGI that does precious little to move the story forward. Do we really need to see an extended sequence showing a celestial Suzie modeling new outfits or bopping to beats on an over-sized record?
A disappointing return to cinema from one of its greatest auteurs.