When I first saw trailers for this film the one thing that stood out to me was actor Mark Wahlberg. You see I grew up in a generation where he was, and some may argue still is, a pop culture icon. There was some appeal because for many of us of a certain age who lived in the US, we’ve seen Wahlberg emerge as an artist whose craft has no longer focused on music but on film. However, the plot of the film centers, in my opinion, magical realism.

It is because of my love for magical realism that I went to see this film. I know it may sound odd to give a genre an ethnicity, but I do associate magical realism with Latinidad and since this film centers and builds off of our ability to suspend logic and believe something so magical to follow the story, it’s fitting to share my review with you all here.

I’ll first admit that I have not read the book by Alice Sebold that the film is based upon, so I cannot speak to it’s consistency with the original text and what is represented on the screen. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised that there were people of Color in the film with speaking roles! I know it seems small, but usually this is not the case so it does stand out, at least to me, when I see such casting choices. The focus of the story is on a young girl named Susie Salmon who is murdered and watches over her family and killer from in-between heaven and earth. Can she allow herself to heal and forgive in order to make it to heaven? Or will her desire to witness vengeance against her murderer keep her in the in-between forever?

There is a mix of voice over as narration by Susie performed by Saoirse Ronan (Atonement), which for some may be distracting. I, however, found it useful especially since I was not familiar with the text. Mark Wahlberg (The Departed; Four Brothers) plays her father Jack, Rachel Weisz (Definitely, Maybe; The Constant Gardener) her mother Abigail, Susan Sarandon (Speed Racer; In The Valley Of Elah) plays her Grandmother Lynn, and Rose McIver (Legend Of The Seeker) plays her younger sister Lindsey. Stanley Tucci (Julia & Julia; Swing Vote) is fascinating as George Harvey, the man who murders Susie.

The film takes place in the early 1970s and Susie is like many 14-year-old girls, in that she is focused on her school and has developed a crush for a very handsome senior: Ray Singh performed by newcomer Reece Ritchie (10,000 BC). I was pleasantly surprised to see an interracial love story set in the early 1970s and have it be extremely normalized versus ostracized and objectified. Like many younger girls, Susie is intimidated by Ray’s age and does not pursue him. However Ray is into Susie and after they watch Othello in their film club together, he asks her to meet him at the mall for a date in a few days. Right before Susie is about to experience her first kiss a teacher reprimands another student and interrupts their hallway kiss. That same evening Susie is murdered and dies without having been kissed by her first love.

I’ll admit that I was tickled when Susie and her friend spoke about the film Othello they watched and had commentary about the blackface of Laurence Olivier and called it “creepy.” Ray also expressed his connection to the film and called himself “the Moor” in love notes he sent to Susie. This is more dialogue that recognizes difference and the racial formation people living in the US experience than any other film I’ve seen where people of Color are not the lead.

When Susie is murdered and she finds herself in the in-between place where she can watch her family and only interact with them in specific ways, she meets a young girl named Holly performed by Nikki SooHoo (Bring It On). Holly helps Susie navigate her new environment and helps mentor her towards healing and heaven.

As Susie’s family tries to find her murderer, police investigator Len Fernerman performed by Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) takes the lead on her murder. Her father Jack and siblings dream of Susie, feel, and see her in their daily interactions and do not give up finding her murderer. It is her mother Abigail that cannot cope with the disappearance and murder of her daughter and the search her family seeks to continue. Abigail chooses to leave hear family and work in an orchard picking oranges in California, alongside several working class people and people of Color. The children are left to be cared for by their Grandma Lynn while Jack works and this is where Sarandon shines in her role. Not only is Grandma Lynn comfortable as a grandparent, but she’s also comfortable with a drink in one had, a cigarette in the other, and a full face of make up. She is a diva and plays the role very well. At the same time, Grandma Lynn’s actions help us understand why there is contention between her and her daughter Abigail.

As the search for Susie’s murderer continues, Susie learns more about George and his past. As she discovers more about him, her family becomes more suspicious of him as well. Susie also meets other young women who are waiting for her to leave the in-between and discovers they are all there to meet her because they were all murdered by the same person. Susie is greeted by Flor Hernandez performed by newcomer Stefania Owen, one of George’s youngest victims, who attempts to welcome her into heaven.

One of my favorite parts about this film is that there are several lines that just make sense, especially for people who are mourning the loss of people in their lives like I was when I saw the film. Sometimes it means more to hear someone or something that has no investment in who you are and what you do wish you a long and happy life.

VL Verdict: 8 out of 10

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