I read The Lovely Bones several years ago - probably not too long after it came out - and, while not exactly high literature, it left an impression on me without having really gotten under my skin; still, given what a phenomenon the book was, it's surprising that a film has been so long in coming, and I was interested to see what Peter Jackson would make of it.
Well, the trailer made it look pretty bad, and I get the impression that reviews have been mixed, and in some quarters downright terrible, but all of that said, I thought that the film was pretty good. It's a bit of a hodge-podge, and a bit too obviously emotionally manipulative, but both of those come with the territory, and the two best things about it - namely, Saoirse Ronan's note-perfect turn in the central role and the SFX which bring her 'in between' place to life - work strongly in its favour. It's no classic, but judged against any expectations other than the unreasonably high ones which preceded it, I reckon The Lovely Bones to be a success.
(w/ M)
