Glittery and gross.
What a beautifully icky movie.
After being raped and murdered by her creepy neighbour, Susie Salmon, (who is almost too perfect to be real) wanders around in a pre-heaven world of her own mind, watching her grieving family, while sending them small signs of her 'existence'. The movie spends most of its time here, in a expanse of technicolor CGI, waiting to get to the punchline, which is her willingness to go to actual heaven.
I suppose it makes sense for a photography enthusiast like Susie to live in a Val Hala that looks like a postcard, but how is her soul not shaken to the bone? You would think she'd be brooding in a deep dark cave or something. This brings me to what I think is the movie's biggest problem which is that Susie never really resembles a human being. She's just a symbol of innocence to be deflowered. She narrates with a kind of angelic whispery voice, oozing with so much sentiment, that when she says she wants her killer dead, we never really believe it (even though we want to).
The movie drags on far too long considering the lack of story following the first act. There are some ill advised attempts at humour, coupled with equally poor soundtrack choices, in between the overbearing VFX.
There are a couple of good scenes, including a Kubrick like transition from the first to the second act, where Susie realizes what has befallen her. Otherwise, this is really just an overly glittery romanticism of an ugly tragedy.
After being raped and murdered by her creepy neighbour, Susie Salmon, (who is almost too perfect to be real) wanders around in a pre-heaven world of her own mind, watching her grieving family, while sending them small signs of her 'existence'. The movie spends most of its time here, in a expanse of technicolor CGI, waiting to get to the punchline, which is her willingness to go to actual heaven.
I suppose it makes sense for a photography enthusiast like Susie to live in a Val Hala that looks like a postcard, but how is her soul not shaken to the bone? You would think she'd be brooding in a deep dark cave or something. This brings me to what I think is the movie's biggest problem which is that Susie never really resembles a human being. She's just a symbol of innocence to be deflowered. She narrates with a kind of angelic whispery voice, oozing with so much sentiment, that when she says she wants her killer dead, we never really believe it (even though we want to).
The movie drags on far too long considering the lack of story following the first act. There are some ill advised attempts at humour, coupled with equally poor soundtrack choices, in between the overbearing VFX.
There are a couple of good scenes, including a Kubrick like transition from the first to the second act, where Susie realizes what has befallen her. Otherwise, this is really just an overly glittery romanticism of an ugly tragedy.
- Samiam3
- Apr 4, 2025