Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The Lovely Bones: The Real Film to Worry About?

For the past several weeks there have been dozens and dozens of people in fear that Avatar may in fact not be the completely awesome movie we've been expecting from James Cameron for over a decade. However people have been overlooking a few films from other world class directors, like Clint Eastwood's Invictus, or most notably Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones. Well recently reviews have surfaced for Peter Jackson's latest work and they are middling at best. Some hail it as good but not great, and others say that Peter Jackson has made a wrong step.

Todd McCarthy from Variety says "...the massive success Jackson has enjoyed in the intervening years with his CGI-heavy 'The Lord of the Rings' saga and 'King Kong' has infected the way he approaches this far more intimate tale. Instead of having the late Susie Salmon occupy a little perch in an abstract heavenly gazebo from which she can peer down upon her family and anyone else -- all that is really necessary from a narrative point of view -- the director has indulged his whims to create constantly shifting backdrops depicting an afterlife evocative of 'The Sound of Music' or 'The Wizard of Oz' one moment, 'The Little Prince' or 'Teletubbies' the next."

Richard Corliss from Time Magazine says "The plot has a few pitfalls. Jack, who fingers dozens of men as Susie's potential abductor, takes ages to notice the strange guy across the street. And Abigail departs and reappears with little organic reason. But the movie is packed with privileged moments, like Susie's glimpse, from the in-between, of her younger sister's first kiss — an ecstasy Susie was so close to experiencing before she entered Mr. Harvey's lair."

Baz Bamigboye from Daily Mail (UK) says "There are no gentle touches in The Lovely Bones, and, believe me, a story such as this needs to be handled with care. Jackson cuts out a vital storyline involving Susie's mother (Rachel Weisz) and an affair she has with the policeman who is trying to find out what happened to her daughter.

That last review really got me frightened. One of my favorite things from the book was Mrs. Salmons affair with Lennerman. It really gave more depth to the story and to the characters. Now knowing that that part is not going to be in the film I am so much less excited, and these reviews don't cushion the blow. I'm in as much horror now as when I was reading the rape scene from the novel. True, I try not to listen to the critics on everything (They certainly were off when reviewing Speed Racer), but they are what people go by when predicting what films will get nominated for Best Picture. Example: A film like Transformers 2 wouldn't be nominated for best picture, nor would films like G.I. Joe, or The Reader. Wait a minute....

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