In this fast-paced world of blogging, tweeting and fly-by-night film voyeurism, sometimes one doesn't have the time to give a film proper treatment. More importantly, others do not always have the time to read it. Sometimes you just have to take it around back and squeeze one out in 1-2-3 quick licks.
Think of The Jizt as the wham, bam, thank you ma'am of reviews.
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The Lovely Bones
Release: 12.11.09 limited (01.15.10 wide)
DVD Release: 04.20.10
Rated PG-13
2 hours, 16 minutes
Read a MuFu'n Book!
(Specifically, the Alice Sebold novel)
Cast: Saoirse Ronan (Atonement), Mark Wahlberg (The Happening), Stanley Tucci (The Core)
The Build-up: After her murder, Susie Salmon peers into the lives of her family, friends and killer from the 'In Between'; a place beyond Earth/her life, but not quite Heaven.
The Blurt-out: I didn't think it possible to Disneyfy the molestation and murder of a fourteen-year-old girl, but the lengthy, CGI dreamscapes turned A Nightmare on Elm Street into Fantasia 3.
The Jizt: Instead of breathing life into The Lovely Bones, director Peter Jackson sucked the soul out of this emotional tale and spat the marrow onto a roll of celluloid.
"I sure hope my daughter can't see me banging out the Jizt through this candle."
Yikes, I really am in the minority on this one. Sigh, I don't know I like it (and I especially love Saoirse) what more can I say?
ReplyDeleteDid you read the book? I know a few folks who liked it, but hadn't read the book. I felt he totally missed the point of the book.
ReplyDeleteSaoirse was great though.
I read the book. I have to agree with u RW. The movie missed the point of the book. Plus, the casting of certain characters was off, except the bad guy.
ReplyDeleteTucci was a good casting choice. When I heard Wahlberg was cast, I was certain he was the cop, never thought he'd be the dad, or Weisz the mom.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read teh book yet but many people I know liked it. Hope can have a copy one day.
ReplyDeleteBugger me!!..that was one blunt direct review of this film!! ha ha ha but I did enjoy it. While I may prefer a more conventional approach to film critiqing your point is not lost.
ReplyDeleteI have read the book and one thing I will say in Jackson's defense it that this is a VERY difficult one to make a movie from. But in saying that it could have been better. He has tried to use CGI to compensate for plot
At the root of the book is the grief of the parents and how they deal with the murder of their daughter. It annoys me that the film fails to show that she was raped before being murderd.
It is a film that has devided audieneces. Hey I'm a bloody New Zealander and should back Jackson 100% but here I won't. I don't think he is a great film maker. Incredible CGI do not equate to a great film
Lovely Bones as a film is a butchering of a deeply sad book about grief. The movie failed in every way to portray this.
Thanks for checking out my post!
ReplyDeleteIt was a difficult book to translate to the screen, but it seemed like they didn't try all that much. The rape was an absolutely crucial point to be omitted. When they glossed over it, all my faith and hope for the film was lost.
I was surprised they cast Mark Wahlberg as the dad. I like Mark, but really not who I pictured at all. As the cop, sure, but not the dad.