Narrow and Wide, Lonliness and Perfection

The Narrow

The evening didn't get off to the best of starts. Gordon Ramsey's gasto pub was busy, even at this early time in the evening and as we entered the door we were ushered out as the kitchen had caught fire which doesn't bode well for a tasty gastronomic experience. After standing outside in the cold for over twenty minutes (not by the stunning river views but by the underground car park which is the muster point) it was a relief to be allowed back in the building only to be informed that they couldn't guarantee being able to serve dinner as they didn't have any electricity. I had read some poor reviews about the food and service and although I cannot comment on the quality of the food the staff were great . I even received a follow up phone call to apologise for the inconvenience. But as tickets had been booked for the cinema waiting for them to sort things out wasn't an option so we ended up at Prezzos which is much nicer than a Pizza Express and both food and service were excellent.

The Wide

I have avoided reading The Lovely Bones, written by Alice Sebold, as I was keen to see the film and was worried that I would judge the film on my experience of the book. I am really looking forward to reading the book as I have just finished Stephen Kings latest epic 'The Dome' which has been formulating for over 20 years in his mind and on various manuscripts buried in the cupboards and drawers of his home and I am missing the people he created. One of King's greatest talents is writing books that are full of people. Some you get to know better than others and some you don't want to know and wish he hadn't introduced you to them. And some you connect with and it is sad to say goodbye to them. I like the fact that when he first thought of The Dome the subject was too big for him to tackle, he lacked the knowledge or access to the knowledge that would make to book work. I should imagine that the internet has made The Dome possible as it enables a writer to check out facts and allows researchers access to a wealth of information, literally at their fingertips. The Dome narrows the characters world but widens their minds. Which isn't always a good thing! Certainly not for all the residents of the small town who wake one morning to find themselves encased in a glass dome. Like the penguin in the snow shaker in the scene that opens the film 'The Lovely Bones'.

The Lovely Bones is set in Pennsylvania in 1973 and tells the story of the brutal rape and murder of a 14yr old girl and the repercussions for the family. The young actress who plays the victim Susie, Saoirse Ronan, looked exactly like I did as a 13yr old in 1973. Same hair style, same clothes, same day dreams and same crush on a beautiful boy. Unlike me however Susie had a beautiful life with beautiful parents, siblings and home. The only non beautiful person is her gran played by the beautiful Susan Saradon who is a straight talking, hard drinking slightly estranged presence in the family. I am sure the book delves deeper into the relationship between the gran and her daughter played by Rachel Weisz. The film apparently has left out some crucial parts of the story, not least the affair the bereaved mother has with the detective investigating the case. Although this is never referred to in the film it was implied - simply - by just a look. Sometimes this is all it takes to reveal all. The rape and murder, thankfully, is not shown, and the rape never mentioned. Somethings do not need explaining or described. But from the minute Susie is approached by the paedophile your stomach fills with butterflies and, later on in the film, there is a scene when my heart literally stopped beating for a second.

In death Susie's world narrows to a place between heaven and earth, a place that is surreal, stunning, sometimes barren and scary, sometimes lush and comforting. It was the perfect limbo for a teenage girl of her time and had an almost Alice in Wonderland feel. I think that grown ups (mostly male ones) wouldn't 'get' this imagery in the same way that I did. I was Susie. I had been Susie in my earlier existence. And this would have been my Limbo. Then.

Susie and her dad, played by Mark Wahlberg, looking worryingly like Robin Askwith of 'Confessions of' fame, are very close and he is achingly proud of his girl. Susie was going places. This is something the viewer just knows. She wanted to be a photographer and used up rolls and rolls of film that her parents despaired of ever affording to have developed. They finally agreed to have one roll a month developed and shortly after her death her dad finds a shoe box full of these rolls and decides to have roll a month developed as promised. Her mother just wants to have them all done at once and can't understand his need to stick to this deal. As is often the case different people have different ways of coping with loss and one of the saddest aspects of the film is watching a loving family fall apart.

Susie's own love story is underplayed and rather just focuses on the lost chance to be kissed. Grief is a selfish emotion. You hear people say 'I'll never get to hear his voice again' or
'I'll never be a grandparent now' when they have lost a lover or a child. Susie missed out on her first kiss. Her first love affair. She was denied the chance to travel and take photographs of the sights she would see and the faces she would grow to love. Susie would never become the person she was destined to be and you know that this is the greatest tragedy. All because she was brought up to be a polite girl who left school later than usual one afternoon and bumped into a neighbour who had an dangerous itch that had to be scratched occasionally.

Ms Ronan has a face of such innocence and purity and she is perfectly cast as Susie. I suspect that I may have been disappointed by the film if I had read the book first so I am glad that I still have that treat in store. If you are 70s child and love films to be beautifully shot, have a poetic vibe, if you enjoy films that feature actors who are believable and characters that are well crafted then this a film worth seeing. However, as with most adaptations the film is a narrow version of the book and maybe you would be better advised to read the book.

Susie worries that the penguin in the snow globe is lonely but her dad reassures her that the penguin isn't lonely. He says the penguin is lucky because it lives in a perfect world. Can anyone be really happy in a perfect, but narrow world?