Peter Jackson’s first feature since King Kong is the highly anticipated adaptation of Alice Sebold’s bestelling novel, The Lovely Bones. Taking place in Heaven and on Earth, the story is a cinematic challenge to say the least, but who better than the man who mastered Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings for the challenge? But the strongest comparisons with Jackson’s other work will be with his 1994 film Heavenly Creatures, which also blended fantasy elements into its narrative fabric. That film launched the career of a young Kate Winslet, and The Lovely Bones is set to make a star of Irish actress Saoirse Ronan.

At the centre of the film is down-to-earth 14-year-old Susie Salmon (Ronan), whose ordinary teenage life is cut short when her neighbour, George Harvey (a creepy Stanley Tucci), after luring her into an underground pit, rapes and kills her. The dead Susie unable to leave her family on Earth behind, watches as her parents, Jack (Mark Wahlberg) and Abigail (Rachel Weisz), try to cope with the unthinkable truth that she has been murdered. Years go by and Susie’s body is never discovered. Her friends in Heaven try to persuade her to leave Earth behind, but she is unwilling to do so, still haunted by the fact that Harvey has not been discovered. On Earth, her father and older sister also continue to try and solve the mystery, determined that the truth be uncovered.

Ronan, last seen in Atonement, is clearly a remarkable young actress, capable of taking on complex emotional roles. She is well matched by Tucci, whose cold, complicated portrayal of George is likely to garner some mentions this awards season.