Okay, look, there’s no need to get all sensy at me just because I haven’t been the most attentive blogger of late. My excuse? I’ve been doing that dream-chasing thing again which I’m sure you care nil about. BUT the good news is I’ve had the opportunity to attend some amazing events which my wouldn’t get to go to otherwise, namely THE AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE OF THE LOVELY BONES! It’s hard to believe I actually got to see the finished product of The Lovely Bones on Thrusday night, I’ve literally waiting with baited breath for two-years since I first heard Peter Jackson was adapting the amazing novel.
Speaking of legendary director Peter Jackson (Lord Of The Rings etc), can I divert your attention to the photograph below, which is me (squeal) with (squeal) friggin PETER JACKSON! I was amongst the media throng doing red carpet interviews and after admitting this was an incredibly nerdy request, Jackson was more than willing to be in a quick happy (very happy) snap. He had this to say about The Lovely Bones.
I'm: What was it like to adapt such a complex novel?
PJ: You have to make it your personal choice, you read the book just like anyone else does and then when it comes time to figure out what to leave in, what to take out and what to focus on, it’s based on your intuition really. There’s no rules, you can’t make a carbon copy of the book so you probably choose that you’ve got to shorten it and leave lots out otherwise the film would be fix or six hours.
On his decision to gloss over some of the graphic descriptions of violence in the novel:
Any violence in the movie would overwhelm the film and that’s not the point. I wanted to make a film that young adults and teenagers could see that’s got a lot of positive, uplifting things in it. Whenever you make any film with violence like that it, one; it completely stigmatises the movie, and secondly; it’s not something I’d want to make.
Just as lovely as Jackson was Irish lass Saoirse Ronan, who plays the murdered Susie, looking down on her grieving family from Jackson’s Dali-esque version of heaven. She’s seriously so sweet and in her stylish, red jumpsuit I was quite taken back at how frail she is (I was tempted to pull her in to the Hungry Jacks next door and hand her a Whopper but I figured she mightn’t answer my questions if I did that). Anywho, after her Oscar nominated turn in Atonement, Ronan is no stranger to meaty roles and told she tried not to think of Susie as a “dead girl”.
“She’s someone whose body is dead but her soul is still alive and that’s what’s so great about her.
“It was challenging, it was difficult and I had to go to some very dark places sometimes.
“Other times I got to do a lot of humour, it was great.”
And of course, with my future husband Mark Wahlberg playing her father in the film I had to ask her what it was like to call him `daddy’. Er, well, kind of.
I'm: What was it like to have Mark Wahlberg play your father in the film?
SR: It was great, I was really surprised that Mark isn’t offered more movie roles as a dad really because it’s more a natural thing for him I think. And he’s got a sense of humour. I was very comfortable being his daughter and he’s really nice.
After giving me a hug (sweet girl) and moving on to chat with the rest of the press, next up was the big one *drum roll * Susan Sarandon aka my favourite female actress. Seriously, for a 63-year-old the woman is a fox! She rocked up in a flattering, low-cut pink dress, comfortable as ever showing off her impressive collection of tatts; particularly a barbwire wristband and tribal symbol running from the top of her neck down the spine. Like the Hollywood vet she is, Susan was more fan-orientated on the red carpet heading over to sign The Lovely Bones posters and the odd The Rocky Horror Show DVD, before coming to say howdy. Sarandon lived up to her playful reputation when I asked her what it was like to work with Jackson, quickly looking over her shoulder then whispering “he’s just there you know”.
“No, it was really fun, he’s very collaborative,” she said.
“There’s a lot of physical humour and we had fun doing that, and coming up with all the montage stuff.”
The Oscar winner was happy to be back in Australia where everyone is “always nice” and excited to talk about the role for which Jackson said she was the “one and only choice”.
“I didn’t register it as being that big a deal that she’s such a strange grandmother,” she said.
“She’s not a `granny’ grandmother and I’m old enough to be a grandmother.
“I chatted to my kids about what they would like to see in a really good grandparent and they said most grandparents don’t smoke.”
“I don’t really drink or smoke like her, I certainly think she’s a lot of fun and I would hope that I could come in and help out in such a horrible house.
“I think she’s very strong and has an excellent sense of humour.”
After fulfilling a considerable amount of my `wildest dream come true’ I then headed into the cinema to take a seat, wait 45 minutes and then be treated to an introduction by none other than Jackson, Sarandon and Ronan themselves.
Then IT started... and to be honest, as much as I had tried to resist the temptation of reading early overseas reviews I had peeked at this one from the Sneak and i09, which pretty much said it’s amazing. And it was. Truly. Combining the whimsical afterlife with the bleak reality of life for those below, Jackson shifts between the two with jarring effect as their individual significance can only be fully compared side by side. Wahlberg is spellbinding as the grieving father, Ronan powerful as the victim, Kiwi newcomer Rose McIver in a star-making turn, Sarandon scene-stealing, Weiz a bit flat but Stanley Tucci... wooo! Tucci is brilliant, BRILLIANT, as the resident kiddie fiddler/serial killer and at the very least deserves an Oscar nod for best supporting actor. It’s almost impossible to believe he’s the same person who played the gay stylist in The Devil Wears Prada.
Anywho, I don’t want to continue preaching about it so I’ll conclude with this; see it, see it and make up your own mind but remember it has my glowing recommendation. Now bring the Oscars and don’t let this be another The Dark Knight oversight please.