Film File - The Lovely Bones

Based on the best-selling novel by Alice Sebold and directed by Oscar winner Peter Jackson of 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, 'The Lovely Bones' centres on Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan), who was just 14 years-old when she was murdered on her way home from school. Even after death, she continues to watch over her earthbound family - while her killer remains at large. Trapped in the afterlife, she faces a choice between the desire for vengeance and the yearning to see her family heal and move on with their lives. What begins as a murder slowly unravels into a suspenseful journey through the bonds of memory, love and hope towards a final emotional reckoning. When Sebold's book, her second novel, appeared in 2002, it came out of nowhere to become a huge bestseller, resonating deeply with readers and critics around the globe. What appeared on the surface to be a dark tale of modern crime about a suburban child's murder narrated from beyond the grave, became a unique and very personal take on the notion of the afterlife. At the heart of the book is the endearingly honest, funny and brave Susie Salmon, who, after having departed this life at far too young an age, watches over the living from a mysterious personal realm - 'the in-between' - where she can have anything she desires or imagines, except to be back with those she loves. From this world once removed from our own, Susie watches her family as they come to grips with overwhelming loss. As the family grapples with grief and growing frustration over the police's failure to solve the crime, Susie tries to guide her father towards uncovering the identity of her killer. Strengthened by the love and compassion she feels for those she left behind, Susie eventually comes to understand that she must move on to enable her family to come to terms with her death and find some measure of peace. Given the main premise of the film is the murder of a 14-year old girl, 'The Lovely Bones' is not easy entertainment. That said, it is an arresting film, not just for Peter Jackson's mastery as a director, but mainly for the assured performance of Saoirse Ronan, surely a dreadful omission to not have received a nomination for this year's Oscars. Beginning with that fateful phrase, "I was 14 when I was murdered on December 6, 1973", the film is, at its heart, a murder investigation, as well as an exploration of death, the afterlife and how the living survive without contact with those departed. For a non-action film, Jackson employs a serious amount of special effects - mainly in contrasting life on Earth and those of Susie's new home at 'in between'. While the director does deliver a vision unlike any previous cinematic versions of the afterlife, those who have read the book will likely feel that state has been over-coloured regardless of its imaginative rendering. As the police investigation unfolds, led by Detective Len Fenerman (Michael Imperioli), the murderer lurks in plain sight - the unremarkable neighbour George Harvey (Stanley Tucci). The parents, played by Mark Whalberg and Rachel Weitz, are excellent as the long-suffering couple whose very relationship begins to founder on the rocks of the murder, a thread of the story very capably handled by Jackson, and one that must make any audience think of the unseen hardships endured by relatives of any death, by murder or accident. One of the most emotionally restrained scenes occurs the moment Susie's father knits together the unravelled strings to correctly guess the murderer - it's an emotional payoff dripping in restrained suspense. The only bum note in the casting is Susan Sarandon as the 'Granny with a colourful past', a persona that, while bringing some much-needed humour at times, gels badly with the story's overall impact. 'The Lovely Bones' is a well-crafted film, but with uneasy aspects for anyone who has suffered bereavement. As for Saoirse Ronan, it is another huge step on the ladder to cinematic greatness. She may have been passed over for an Oscar this year, but she has plenty of time...