I saw The Lovely Bones today, and Mark Wahlberg was a revelation. He played the father who loses his oldest daughter and must solve her murder, must avenge her. It's not machismo that drives him, it's love ... and guilt that he couldn't protect Susie when she was alive. His devotion, confusion and grief are palpable and moving.
And unexpected. I have never been that impressed by his acting before. I thought he was appropriately ridiculous as Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights. He left little impression on me in The Departed -- to me, that movie was about Leo and Matt. But his performance in The Lovely Bones will stay with me.
Stanley Tucci is just as good as his opposite number, the monster who rapes and murders 14-year-old Susie. The scenes between Susie and her neighbor are genuinely harrowing, if not graphic.
I realize this film hasn't gotten very good reviews and I can see why. Peter Jackson's depiction of "In Between" and Heaven are both more visual than spiritual and struck me as superficial. Without a compelling and soulful search for serenity within Susie's heaven, the movie is overwhelmingly sad. And kinda pointless.
Except for the touching portrayal of a man who really loves his daughter.
I wonder how true to the book it is. By watching the previews, it seems like it doesn't follow the book very closely.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting because I just read the book a couple of weeks ago and laughed when I saw Wahlberg cast as the Dad. I just couldn't picture him in the role - too young in my mind I guess since he's about my age and my friends don't have kids in their teens yet. He is a good actor - I liked him in I Heart Huckabees.
ReplyDeleteI've been waiting for this to come to video, and the book is on my TBR pile. Based on what I've heard, there's no big rush for either.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the review, I liked the book too much to go see the movie. (some books just need to stay as books)
ReplyDeleteI am going to disagree with you about Wahlberg and The Departed, I thought he was able to keep up with Leo and Matt. (One of my all time favorite movies, maybe b/c they talk like me!)
It's another sign of age when actors who we thought were kids are now playing adults. Kind of like working with people who could be your kids.
My mom and sister went to see it yesterday and they seemed to like it okay. I wasn't a fan of the book at all so I'll probably wind up skipping it-or waiting until it comes on HBO.
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