With this film, Peter Jackson leaves behind the huge epics he was involved with during the last decade and does a film that is probably closer in tone to his 1994 film Heavenly Creatures.
The film is about a girl that continues watch her family (and her killer) and she is murdered.
The most common criticism I read about the film prior to watching the film was its portrayal of the the afterlife. After seeing the film, I do have to agree that it was probably a little jarring seeing such a brightly coloured happy-go-lucky world (especially following the very tense and suspenseful first act). However, I have a feeling that this contrast was intentional and as the film progressed, I didn’t really mind it.
Irish actress Saoirse Ronan is pretty good in the lead role of Susie Salmon. She is definitely an up-and-coming actress and she shined in every role I seen her in (starting with a supporting role in the film Death Defining Acts, which I saw at the film festival a few years ago). I also have to say that I thought Stanley Tucci was very chilling and disturbing in the role of the killer.
Overall, I thought this a decent film and it was a nice change of pace for Peter Jackson after all those three hour epics.
8/10