The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones

Running Time: 135 min

Summary: Based on the best selling book by Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones is the story of a 14-year-old girl from suburban Pennsylvania who is murdered by her neighbor. She tells the story from Heaven, showing the lives of the people around her and how they have changed all while attempting to get someone to find her lost body.

Review: Decent. I have definitely seen worse and I have definitely seen better. Lovely Bones seems like a typical best selling book to film conversion. A lot of meat in the story that didn't translate that well to screen.

Saoirse Ronan did a wonderful job as Susie Salmon, the 14 year old victim. The few scenes of her before the murder were captivating and left you wanting more. But alas, Rachel Weisz and Mark Walberg were unconvincing as her grief stricken parents and even less convincing as a married couple. I hate it when movies don't pay attention to if two actors "match" before casting them in a movie.

Stanley Tucci is massively creepy as the murderer but I wish that they had revealed more about the character's violent nature and the sheer ferocity of the crimes that he committed, as they do in the book.

The length of the movie was a little long although it did go by quickly. I would have traded out a couple of the "griefstricken father hunts fruitlessly for his daughter's murderer scenes" for getting to bed 20 minutes earier.

All in all an alright Monday night movie but I would have been disappointed if it was my Friday night movie.

7 nests out of 10