Watch me and Roth’s video review of Peter Jackson’s newest film The Lovely Bones starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, and Stanley Tucci. While we both were looking forward to this movie, it ended up being a let down. It wasn’t a bad movie, just a very uneven and unfocused version of Alice Sebold’s book of the same name. Let us know what you think of the movie and our review, thanks!
- Dennis
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I agree with pretty much what you two have pointed out. I will add that I think this film, as much as Peter Jackson loved the material enough to license the book's film rights, seemed like it needed someone else who wasn't in transition from wanting to make a smaller film after spending literally a decade or more making huge epic films.
I think the disjointed feeling you two spoke of came from a filmmaker wanting to make something like 'Heavenly Creatures' but who was also still decompressing from LOTR/King Kong mode. The scenes of Limbo and the inclusion of so many secondary and tertiary characters speak to this while the more intimate side of the film seemed to almost coalesce but not enough to make the audience who have never read the book invest in.
I do hope that Jackson continues to produce big films, but I also hope he follows through on what he said about wanting to make smaller-budgeted genre films like District 9, or even go back to making horror for his next couple projects. If there was a filmmaker who needed to go back to his root it's him. If only to refresh and get his second wind back.
Yeah sometimes when people have read the original source material, they start filling in the blanks themselves without thinking about whether a viewer that hasn't will be able to understand the reasonings behind certain scenes or characters.
Dennis
I haven't read the book for "The Lovely Bones", so my impressions were garnered from the trailer. While visually appealing, it looks to be a mix of 'What Dreams May Come" and "The Invisible". Not sure about seeing it in the theater, but i will check it out on DVD.
Thanks for the review!
Yeah, while not as boring as 'What Dreams May Come', it definitely has some similarity in "the other world". I would say this is a rental versus seeing it in the theatre.
Dennis
Hey Thanks!
You know, What Dreams May Come – I actually found gorgeous – but a terrible movie. This is more visually appealing in the real world and in the moments where they mix the real world and the "in-between". But when they go nuts in the after world – it really doesn't work that well. This is a far better movie than What Dreams May Come – but it was disappointing when you know what Peter Jackson is capable of in terms of Heavenly Creatures etc…
It's strengths do not outmatch it's weaknesses (for me).
Thanks for commenting!
Roth
Outside of Saoirse Ronan's performance, I really disliked this movie and would give it a D+.
You guys were very generous giving the movie as high of marks as you did, especially after spending 10 very effective minutes ripping the movie deservedly apart.
Things I really hated off the top of my head (I saw this movie more than a month ago I think): the grandmother who seemed straight out of a sit-com; the love interest who in his 30's is still in high school; the fact that they had to explain the concept of what the title meant but yet didn't do a convincing job of illustrating it; the less-than-satisfying comeuppance of the villain; the suspense surrounding the rolling of the heavy safe into the pit which resulted in nothing except wasting at least five minutes of film; the casting of Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as the parents of teenagers (despite the actors' actual age, they really look to be 30…it would have been more convincing if they had cast Susie's love interest as her dad and put Wahlberg in the high school to make goo goo eyes at her).
That said, I think Saoirse Ronan is going to be a huge star.