The Hollywood blockbuster’s release has been much anticipated in Ireland for quite a while now, with budding young Irish star, Saoirse Ronan, taking the reins in the cinematic adaptation of Alice Sebold’s much praised novel of the same name. And with the big name of The Lord of the Rings director, Peter Jackson, at the wheel, there is much reason to be hopeful. All of this makes it even harder to accept that The Lovely Bones does fall short of the mark and leaves us with a je ne sais quoi void.

The Lovely Bones is the heart breaking and stomach clenching tale of Susie Salmon, a fourteen year old girl who is murdered just before Christmas in a small Pennsylvanian town. While her family are left to mourn the loss of their golden child, Susie watches from the ‘in-between,’ a limbo like world for asking the unanswered questions of death before making your ascent into heaven. As she lingers, unwilling to move on from her life on earth, Susie makes soft and tangible contact with those who she was forced to leave behind. Some, are people she barely knew before she slipped away, others are the cornerstones of her life. As Susie struggles to understand her new immortal state, the world moves on before her eyes, in an effort to teach Susie that death waits for nobody.

Jackson’s expertise in dealing with the supernatural and extraordinary are undoubtedly evident in The Lovely Bones, but surprisingly, the everyday scenes are far more wonderful than their heavenly equivalents.

In fact, the opening half hour is quite lovely; Susie and her family are given depth and character through a great injection of energy and humour, Susie's aspirations to be a wildlife photographer are enthusiastic and genuine, and the family dynamic is believable.

Unfortunately, when the bridge is made to the in-between scenes, not only do they fall short, but so too do the seams seem to fall out of the earthy episodes. They aren't terrible; but they ain't great either. There is one amazing scene that takes place in limbo, involving a moment when Susie's grieving father attempts to shatter the aching memory of his daughter, only to realise that a father's love is greater than any worldly memory. Overall though, the attempts at creating a limbo are disappointing and far too predictable. 

The script also leaves a lot to be desired. Perhaps I have become desensitized but the writing is a little over laborious for my liking and some of the lines are just cringe inducing. My personal worst is ‘my name is Salmon, like the fish, first name Susie.’ It’s meant to sound sweet and innocent, but would a fourteen year old really say that? The ending is more heart achingly disappointing than the last twenty minutes foreshadowed, with Susie’s last message wishing us a long and happy life. Puke.com

Overall, The Lovely Bones is probably not my cup of tea because it just isn’t the kind of movie I am attracted to. It’s overly sentimental, overtly over thought and way too predictable. I heard The Lovely Bones compared to To Kill a Mockingbird yesterday, but it really isn’t at this level.

Not even close. Two stars. 

Jennifer Bannon