Heartless [DVD]

I was very impressed with Heartless. Writer & director Phillip Ridley has managed to pull off something to be very proud of. The story is unique and of the moment. It's also exciting, intriguing and very touching too.

It ends with some quite beautiful words of wisdoms that wrap up the film in an unexpected ending M.Night Shamallam would be proud of; and the direction, lighting and cinematography are all well handled, getting the most out of some great sets and locations.

The acting and characters are all very good and very believable, and you become invested in them emotionally. There's also a brilliant appearance by Eddie Marson, who is surely one the UK's top acting talents... If you don't know the name, you'll know his face when you see it.

The musical score is good and adds to the film in all the right places, and the film itself has more than it's fair share of twist and turns; ones that I'm happy to say you don't see coming a mile off.

The CGI is good too, and one thing I'm really pleased about is that this film didn't feel cheap or 'British'. A lot of UK cinema, good as it might be, sometimes feels very 'made for TV', low budget, or film school, but this didn't at all. I think that that is in no small part thanks to Philip Ridley.

This film is perhaps only really worth 4 stars - it had it's flaws and, perhaps, one or two twists too many, but I'm so impressed by what was attempted - and more to the point - what was achieved, that I'm going to give it 5 stars. I'll certainly be talking about it down the pub tonight and look forward to seeing what Phillip Ridley gives us next.

Redemption and hope are sought in a Faustian tale set in a Shorditch full of velociraptor faced demon hoodies, murder and stylized gangs.

If you don't like the sound of that then this isn't the film for you (and you're weird - why wouldn't you like that?). Heartless refers to various elements of the film but mostly to our hero's (Jim Sturgess - if hero is the right word) birthmark which renders him an outsider and awkward. He stumbles upon a gang who he realises are not human and begins his descent into anarchy and darkness. There are various story strands; his fear of the marauding gangs, his search for revenge after the violence comes home, his infatuation with an Eastern European model he meets at his uncle's studio, his friendship with his new neighbour (Noel Clarke)and said neighbours dark past and a vicious gang leader with a claw for a hand intetn on mayhem. So far this is a film noir set in a grimy and dangerous East London but it becomes clear very quickly that there is a strong supernatural element here (the review title "Harry Brown in Hell" sums it up pretty nicely). Soon the hero must face his worst fears and gets an offer he can't really refuse taking him deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness but offering him the hope of a good life.

The grainy and grimy feel of rundown London estates makes for a perfect backdrop for the unfolding story which contrasts nicely with some of the ancient buildings and the green fields of London parks. The film looks great and the fact that special effects are used rather sparingly means that they work when they are. Okay the velociraptor faces are a little bit iffy but fleeting views in the shadows mean that is being very picky.

What distinguishes this from most horror (especially recent British horror - a lot of which has been pretty ropey) is that has genuine tenderness. No one in this film is just monster fodder. Everyone gets a chance to grow and develop and everyone matters. There aren't many deaths in this film (compared to most horror) but you care about all of them. You will find yourself conflcited about some of the choices that the hero has to make.

This is an intelligent, well scripted, well acted, beautifully shot and well constructed piece. It feels like it has tried to be too many different things but it succeeds pretty well. There are some very strange choices of style for example the murder of a gay prostitute is pretty much a comedy scene but somehow it all works. There is gore but it is the atmosphere which picks at your nerves. And it really does unnerve the viewer - especially when you wodner what you would do.

There's much to admire in this Brit thriller starring the excellent Jim Sturgess. The cast is superb, the setting is suitably grim and the premise is intriguing. But let us not pretend any of the good stuff is original. The old "desperate man sells his soul" tale has been done many times before and sadly, rather better than this.

The film starts brilliantly, with Sturgess's photographer character, complete with enormous disfiguring birthmark, discovering that a string of violent crimes in the East End are not the work of gangs but of hooded demons. So far, so good. But what follows when he encounters the puppet master is all rather silly and predictable. Even worse, it becomes boring. Attempts are made to shock us with a bit of gore, then a bit of a twist but despite the surreal nature of the plot it failed to hold my interest.

As others have said, this is NOT a horror. It starts out that way, but then drifts into supernatural thriller and then poignant drama. It doesn't really know what it is and fans of all these genres are likely to be left frustrated and disappointed.