Take time to smell the roses and the people in your life. I have not seen a film that made me laugh, cry, cringe in horror and revulsion and nostalgic about my own life and the people I interact with all with the same viewing. Combining ephemeral beauty and absolute ugliness in a single frame, Director, Peter Jackson best known for his "Lord of the Rings" movies achieves a unique tension for the movie watcher that is hypnotically attractive and oddly disturbing and sickening at the same time.
Our story is about a 14-year-old girl murdered by a serial killer. The movie reminded me of reading a Stephen King novel where Stephen King makes you fall in love and like the characters only to have the character yanked away from you in the storyline. The director makes the viewer feel the exuberance and enthusiasm of wide-eyed youth while still feeling the hollow ache of tragedy.
Based on Alice Sebold’s bestseller, The Lovely Bones is narrated by Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan), a kid growing up in the late 1970s who enjoys taking pictures of the things people fail to notice. My cousin who is also a photographer by hobby once told me she could never throw away a picture that she has taken because it is a moment frozen in time that will never be recaptured again. The movie touched on this and I was reminded of life's little and big moments all around us and to take the time to "smell the roses."
We can see the dreaded end of Susie’s life coming from very far away, but Jackson doesn’t abuse the suspense factor by dragging it out. He builds a sequence that successfully separates Susie’s body from her soul — without gratuitous violence or gore. It is almost a reverse storyline of "It's A Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart, where Susis is in a limbo of childhood beauty and fantasy watching the lives she touched in life all along hoping her killer is brought. The main character watches from beyond at her family's lives all long hoping for justice for her killer unable to move forward to Heaven.
To avoid any spoilers, I will not describe the storyline any further but I highly recommend this movie to everyone. The movie is depressing with happy under tones. It is simply hard to describe. Being a horror movie fan myself, I was unsure I would like this movie but I liked the acting of Mark Walberg and I was once again not disappointed by him and the rest of the fantastic acting of the cast. The movie made me feel like I had some unfinished business in my life and I have no idea what that is. It made me feel bad for the tragedy in my own life and at the same time blessed with the memories and the people in my life today. The emotions this movie evokes on the viewer is remarkable. I am not sure what the book is liked but I intend to read it but the movie made me feel to appreciate life's moments not meaning to make a million dollars or have tons of money and success but the small moments, the sunshine on your face or your first kiss. To quote our main character, one moment you are here and the moment you are gone like a whisper. Make the moments count. Five Stars Ratings from this movie goer.
Chinook the Ferret
