The Lovely Bones

[Bunker]

Looks like another 2009 disappointment judging by the reviews so far. What a great year for movies!

 

[lime]

Well the reviews i have read are 65% positive, and 35 negative.

PS: Do not believe in reviews! They might not like it, but you do. That's what happened with me and The Village.

 

[Bunker]

I pretty much always agree with critics, but I'll sill give it a chance because of Petey.

 

[TLH]

I'm not too worried. Movies that divide critics so emphatically often mean that if you like it, you love it. If you don't like it, you hate it. So it's really up to you in the end. Personally, I'm sure TLB is a solid movie, and definitely will get Oscar consideration, regardless of reviews.

Most negative reviews compare the movie to the book, which is always a sign of an unreliable review. A movie should be reviewed on its own merits; it is a different medium.

 

[Project862006]

I pretty much always agree with critics, but I'll sill give it a chance because of Petey.

I hate that mentality there are so many movies that i love that get crappy rating on say rotten tomatoes .If i let someone else 's Opinion effect my anticipation and/or care for a film that i am looking forward to i would be a damn fool..

 

[:eek:]

41% over at Rottentomatoes. Ouch. Looks like the big disappointment of the holiday season.

 

[TLH]

41% over at Rottentomatoes. Ouch. Looks like the big disappointment of the holiday season.

See it for yourself. All the negative reviews cite the same problem: too much focus on visuals instead of the human element.

If you go see it and this doesn't bother you, then what the critics think doesn't matter, because you'll like the movie.

 

[ComicChick]

i need this movie to be good.

i've never had more difficulty getting through a book than I did reading The Lovely Bones. I read it in late 2005/early 2006 right after my nephew's death. i cried so many times reading it, and even thinking bout the book and some parts still gets me emotional. at one point i had to stop reading it for about 3 weeks because of it resembling my own life too much at the time. i have a weird attachment to that book now, and its always gonna be intertwined with my nephew's death for me now. i want to read it again, to see what i've forgotten or perhaps overlooked by being so "out of it" while reading it, but I dont know if i can put myself through that again yet.

i want to see the movie. the cast looks stellar, the cinematography is beautiful, and ronan looks how i pictured susie. if there is a voiceover at the end of the movie like there is in the book, i'll be crying for sure. i may just have to go see this myself.

it sounds a bit crazy that i want to see it after all the book did to me emotionally, but i'm hoping to find some kind of closure by seeing it. In a way, i think it'll help me deal with my nephew's death, something i'm still not over 4 years later, and to try and find some peace in there somewhere. i never really understood a fanboy's lament, and how they get so worked up if things aren't done like the comics etc, but now i do. i'm a fangirl myself and there are some things that i havent liked in my franchises that they've done, but i've never really gotten too worked up about it (X1's revealing rogue's real name was the closest). i understand it's not going to be just like the book, it'd be extremely difficult to adapt it exactly, but I NEED this book to be done justice. I think Jackson has the passion for it to do just that.

end of rant.

 

[Matt Mortem]

When does this come out?

 

[ComicChick]

It came out the 11mited release the 11th but I heard its going nationwide around january 15th.

 

[xwolverine2]

none of these bad reviews make sense to me...

same happened with king kong and i loooved that movie.

 

[ComicChick]

i dont like to follow the trends or reviews for the most part. high praise may compell me to check something out but bad reviews usually don't turn me away. i take the opinions of movies from my friends with more than i do film critics because they know my tastes and likes/dislikes. so if they tell me i wont like a movie, i'm more inclined to listen to them

 

[cryptic name]

Looks like another 2009 disappointment judging by the reviews so far. What a great year for movies!

it actually has been a pretty great year for movies.

 

[cerealkiller182]

My review

http://rickshq.blogspot.com/2010/01/review-lovely-bones.html

The Lovely Bones takes place in Everytown, USA, during the early '70s where the murder of young girl breaks a family apart and rocks a small town. Little do they know, their daughter is just beyond the ethereal plane, but not yet heaven, watching over them trying to guide them to her killer. Her killer being an unassuming neighbor with dark secrets and hidden past.

The Lovely Bones is a big heap of disappointment. What seemed like a poignant, other worldly thriller never could find its pacing or tone bouncing back and forth between genres. At one point, a murder mystery where a desperate father is trying to find clues that would lead him to the evil slayer who is so close. At another point, it is an introspective family drama where the pieces caused by this tragic loss are clumsily put back together. Last but not least, is the fantasy world just beyond reality where Suzie Salmon's (the victim) imagination comes to life. Separately, they are mildly effective in their intention, but together they are a poorly constructed final product undermining Peter Jackson's grand reputation.

The cast looks great. Young up and comer Saoirse Ronan showed promise elsewhere, but her she trips up on the narration. She never feels invested in the plot. This is especially problematic when the plot revolves around her character. Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon are proven professionals, but they never seem to find rhythm here. Sarandon's goofy montage midway through the movie was a tension killer on the same scale of "Raindrops Falling on my Head" in Butch and Sundance. I find it ironic that I just assumed they would perform admirably, but it was Mark Wahlberg who performed past expectations considering he is more known for being loud and violent. As the emotionally bruised father, he adds a level of sympathy that no one else could. And then of course there is Stanley Tucci, as the sick, perverted killer. He excels in spades. His dark, calculating villain is one of the more fearsome villains in years. Like a shark in open water. Most of the time, you would never see him coming until it is too late. This is why when he makes his move on Suzie and the most important clue is found and seems neither cunning or calculating, undermining his character completely.

The ending is completely unsatisfying. It puts far too much faith in childhood crushes, and the epilogue involving the final fate of the killer, years later, seems tacky and unnecessary.

Wahlberg and Tucci perform awesomely, and the visuals are very striking, but the rest of the talent struggle to the end, and the plot and pacing never finds its balance.

4/10

 

[ComicChick]

sounds like my worries are coming true

on a side note cerealkiller, have you read the book? or only seen the film?

 

[cerealkiller182]

only seen the film

 

[ComicChick]

from what i've read, peter jackson focused on susie's "in-between" world more than I did. while reading, i focused on the breakdown of the family and how it tore them apart and how they tried to move on. When i saw who the cast was going to be, i just knew they all had the chops to really make that part powerful and poignant.

the book is sad, yet slightly optimistic. the ending i didn't care for as much, and i cried reading this book more than anything else i've ever read. since it seems that jackson has focused more on the "in-between" and the trailers on tv make it feel more like a mystery, i'm actually worried that seeing it will taint the effect that the book had on me.

 

[MAN O STEEL]

i'm actually worried that seeing it will taint the effect that the book had on me.

I don't & never will understand ppl who overreact like this. It's a friggin made up story, not the philosophy of life, jesus. Take each medium for what it is & enjoy it for what it is. Geez, ppl just take thing's to far sometimes.




Steve

 

[TLH]

I've seen TLB, and the mixed reviews are not deserved. It's actually good, in spite of a few flaws and some questionable decisions by Jackson.

In essence, it starts out great (45 minutes) and ends great (last 30 minutes). It's the middle 45 minutes where the film suffers.

TLB's best assets are its fantastic performances, stunning visuals, and two incredibly suspenseful scenes. Tucci will definitely get an Oscar nom for Supporting Actor, and if not for Waltz would downright win. Ronan is fantastic; I hope she squeezes out a Best Actress nod.

Eno's score is great and Lesnie's cinematography is right up there with his work in LOTR. It definitely feels like a Peter Jackson film, which might not have been right for this kind of material, but he does pull off a lot of successful moments here.

Does Jackson focus too much on the inbetween? No, I didn't think so. There is one questionable montage that's cheesy, involving Susie and her friend Holly, to the song Alice by the Cocteau Twins that tips towards overkill. It badly needs to go. The middle frame also consists of jumpy pacing and an inconsistent tone. The movie could benefit from more human drama or character development in place of inbetween or comic relief. I guess, to be fair, since Jackson, admittedly, was going for a "fast-paced, uplifting, piece of entertainment" I think he succeeds in this regard.

Anyway, if nothing else, the movie is never boring; it's always entertaining and suspenseful.

It's not an average film; it takes a lot of chances, most of which work. Anyway, enough from me. Yes, we expected better. It will garner some nominations -- at least 3, Supporting Actor, Art Direction, and Cinematography, with a chance at Best Actress and Adapted Screenplay. Eno would have been a serious contender for Best Original Score had he not been disqualified for failing to submit his score in time.

Go into it looking to have a genre-blending, entertaining time at the movies, with a few very noticeable bumps along the way, and you'll leave satisfied.

7-7.5/10 (B/B-)

 

[danoyse]

I don't & never will understand ppl who overreact like this. It's a friggin made up story, not the philosophy of life, jesus. Take each medium for what it is & enjoy it for what it is. Geez, ppl just take thing's to far sometimes.




Steve

It's not "overreacting". People were moved by what they read in a book and they get concerned that movie won't translate that emotion as well. Nothing wrong with that at all.

Chill out.

 

[Raiden]

I don't & never will understand ppl who overreact like this. It's a friggin made up story, not the philosophy of life, jesus. Take each medium for what it is & enjoy it for what it is. Geez, ppl just take thing's to far sometimes.




Steve

It doesn't matter if it's a made-up story or not, because it is adaptation and fans of the source material has the right to be concerned about whether it is a faithful translation or interpretation of the story that they have came to love or even obsessed about.

 

[Rac]

Hands down; Jackson's worst film (and his first film that I did not like thoroughly). Too bad, because sometimes the movie was really good, but sometimes it was just really something else...

2½ out of 5

Sarandon's goofy montage midway through the movie was a tension killer on the same scale of "Raindrops Falling on my Head" in Butch and Sundance.

Does Jackson focus too much on the inbetween? No, I didn't think so. There is one questionable montage that's cheesy, involving Susie and her friend Holly, to the song Alice by the Cocteau Twins that tips towards overkill.

I hated these two. I also hated the whole Holly character.

 

[ComicChick]

I don't & never will understand ppl who overreact like this. It's a friggin made up story, not the philosophy of life, jesus. Take each medium for what it is & enjoy it for what it is. Geez, ppl just take thing's to far sometimes.


Steve

It's not "overreacting". People were moved by what they read in a book and they get concerned that movie won't translate that emotion as well. Nothing wrong with that at all.

Chill out.

danoyse, you hit the nail on the head. that's what my fear is about the book on film.

this book is fiction, i get it. but it's about a teenager who is murdered, and when I read it, my nephew had just died, he was a teenager too. his death rocked my family to the core, and it still affects me to this day. seeing a family going through what we were going through (although my nephew wasn't murdered by anyone but himself) really paralleled with my life and us trying to move on. that's why the book resonated with me so much. had i read it at any other point in my life and i don't think it would have affected me so much. i just hope that its done justice on film

 

[TLH]

danoyse, you hit the nail on the head. that's what my fear is about the book on film.

this book is fiction, i get it. but it's about a teenager who is murdered, and when I read it, my nephew had just died, he was a teenager too. his death rocked my family to the core, and it still affects me to this day. seeing a family going through what we were going through (although my nephew wasn't murdered by anyone but himself) really paralleled with my life and us trying to move on. that's why the book resonated with me so much. had i read it at any other point in my life and i don't think it would have affected me so much. i just hope that its done justice on film

ComicChick,

Jackson's adaptation of TLB has a slightly different tone to it, focusing on fantasy elements and the thriller parts of the story more than the drama. However, when the movie tries to move you, it does. The closing moments are beautiful, including the final scene with a wonderful voiceover by Ronan.

Another moment, which I won't spoil, is done beautifully to the song "Song to the Siren" by the Cocteau Twins, which I think should give you some of the emotional satisfcation you're looking for from the movie.

The movie could have achieved a more significant emotional punch, but Jackson wasn't going for that. Some might criticize his approach for lacking some of the humanity and sentimentality of the novel, but Jackson already said he never wanted to make a bleak, depressing movie about grief in itself.

That said, I think you will still enjoy the film in spite of flaws.

 

[ComicChick]

ive intended to watch it no matter what, despite all the good and bad reviews i've heard.

the voiceover part at the end sounds like it will be as great as it was in the book. that will make me very happy in that i felt the last passage of the book, although sad and melancholy had an air of optimism