Technically, this is a 2009 film that got a limited release for
Oscar consideration. If there is any Oscar justice, Saoirse Ronan
should get a Best Actress nomination for her turn as Susie Salmon, a
murdered girl who watches her family try to catch her killer (a
chilling Stanley Tucci) from the “in between,” a place
after Earth and before Heaven. Peter Jackson directs this adaptation of
Alice Sebold’s inconsistent novel. Jackson jettisons the stuff in
the book that bogged it down or didn’t make any sense, turning
the story into a suspenseful murder mystery/thriller. I love the
depiction of Susie’s afterlife, although I’ve heard many
call it overkill. Mark Wahlberg is very good as Susie’s father.
Tucci is just plain sick here, and that’s what the role calls
for. Ronan is the major revelation in this film. She’ll break
your heart.
The Lovely Bones
