The Lovely Bones (2009)

While some might condemn this latest effort from Peter Jackson because it doesn't match the book for poignancy, I can only judge it based on its merits as a film (I didn't read the book). I loved it.

Susie Salmon, 14, is brutally murdered in her New England neighbourhood. The story of the aftermath for the family is told by Susie in her afterlife. Which does she desire more - the healing of her family or revenge on her killer?

The acting in the film might seem a little over dramatic, but it works well with the visual richness of the film which passes seamlessly between 1970's small town America into a fantastical afterlife. The story itself is brilliant as it juxtaposes the horror of violent death with the utterly breathtaking beauty of restoration.

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