Change Your Image
michaelpburns
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
The Lovely Bones (2009)
Great movie inside a terrible movie
I saw this movie on HBO a few years ago and was beyond transfixed. I thought it was arresting and so incredibly creative, insightful, and emotionally moving... but, I didn't see it from the beginning. I caught it about 10 or 12 minutes in. I hadn't heard much about the film aside from Terry Gross interviewing Stanely Tucci on NPR before it came out, so I was curious to read the rave reviews.
I was totally shocked to see the mixed reaction, and frankly mostly poor reviews. The film the critics were describing barely matched the movie I had seen. Confused, I watched it again- this time from the start.
Wow, a totally different experience. Night and day.
IMO, this film has a massive construction flaw. What's narrated in the first 10 minutes changes the entire tension of the film. The single key event's outcome in the movie is already told to you at the opening. It drains the core of the movie, leaving you to watch the excellent acting performances and go through the motions of the rest of the movie without the heart of it. I have never seen a film that was so undercut by the opening exposition. Perhaps this is following the book- I didn't read the book yet so I don't know- but if that's the case, it was a disastrous decision.
So... if you're interested in watching this film, please fast forward about 10 minutes, to the high school play scene, and start from there. You'll absolutely love it. Watch from the beginning and be warned.