The Lovely Bones

Peter Jackson, the New Zealand director behind the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, clearly never wants to see an orc again. Having spent years filming battle scenes in the wilds of his native country he has turned his hand to this much quieter and more sinister tale of a young girl's murder in 1970s America. A more contrasting project it would be hard to find. Based on the best-selling 2002 book by Alice Sebold, hers is a challenging story to portray on screen. For a start there is the horrific murder of 14-year-old Susie Salmon by a local psychopath. And then there is Susie's existence beyond the grave, from where she observes the fallout caused by her death. Jackson addresses the first by skirting round it, showing only what he has to to convey the facts; and the second by creating an elaborate world of mountains, lakes and cornfields. For not wanting to spell out the awfulness Jackson can be forgiven. But the scenes Susie spends wandering around her new home are interminably dull. All we want to know, while she is staring into her parallel sunset, is what they are doing on earth to catch her killer. Ronan is excellent as Susie, but only half her scenes give her any room for manoeuvre. Tucci is suitably creepy as her killer, but there is little insight into his motives. As a result this serious and touching story lacks substance. Keep your finger close to the fast forward button, though, and it's perfectly watchable.