A ‘Lovely’ vision of the afterlife

Based on Alice Sebold’s novel, “The Lovely Bones” feels like a true story about a young girl’s murder until we follow her on a strange and colorful journey through the afterlife.

Director Peter Jackson shows two parallel stories: a murder mystery in which a family is torn by a killer at large and a fantasy tale that adds very little to the film. The murder provides suspense and emotion while the fantasy scenes seem to glorify a horrible death. Despite its flaws, the film is visually stunning.

The film is marked by strong performances across the board. Newcomer Saoirse Ronan does an outstanding job as victim Susie, Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz are excellent as the tortured parents, and Stanley Tucci deserves Oscar attention for his eerily realistic portrayal of a serial killer incognito.

The film’s message is perplexing. Was Susie’s death favorable in that it helped her to escape life’s problems? Perhaps Jackson himself could not even provide a satisfactory answer.