Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
The Beat That My Heart Skipped could single-handedly give remakes a good name. Based on the 1978 American movie Fingers, The Beat , it stars Romain Duris (L'Auberge Espagnole) as Tom, a hoodlum who works the shady side of real estate--evicting poor families from slums, cutting quick and dirty deals in the middle of the night--following in the footsteps of his sleazy father. But clearly Tom loathes both himself and everything he does. One night he accidentally runs into the man who managed Tom's mother, who was a pianist; the manager asks Tom himself to audition, as Tom once showed promise. All at once Tom hires a tutor and neglects his "duties," raising the ire of his cohorts but starting to make himself happy. This could be hokum about the power of art, but Duris' performance is so visceral, so emotionally vivid and engaging, that The Beat That My Heart Skippedbecomes a remarkable parable about the danger of betraying yourself--all the more powerful because Tom's life doesn't simply get better, it grows dangerously more complicated. A superb movie with excellent performances throughout, making Duris' standout work all the more impressive. --Bret Fetzer
The Mail on Sunday
"Brilliant… The best thing I’ve seen all year"
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Tom (Romain Duris) works as a sort of real-estate thug. He and his partners trash buildings in low-income areas, buying them low and selling them high for a quick profit. It's a grotesque scam that involves letting sewer rats loose in target buildings so as to scare out squatters and sometimes paying tenants.
Tom's work is morally corrupt and physically debilitating and Tom manifests this corruptness in the very core of his being: he's depressed, violent, short-tempered and vehemently without empathy and humanity. He is only seemingly nice when a good-looking woman is around and that is only so he can bed her.
Then one day he spots his dead mother's music manager who promises him an audition which draws Tom back into his musical training: something he deserted many years before. Tom throws himself into classical music at first as a challenge to recapture his talent. But what he doesn't initially realize is that music will ultimately prove to be his salvation...turning him from the darkness to the light.
Music has always been something that Tom has associated with what little good he has experienced in his life. To him, music recalls his loving mother. To him, music has always meant love. And he grasps at a life in music like a drowning man grasps at a life preserver. He is as neurotic at reclaiming his musical talent as he is at stealing, drinking, drugging and cheating. He has a goal for the first time in many, many years.
Romain Duris ("The Spanish Apartment," "Le Divorce") heretofore has always been the good guy: young and sweet yet in both of these roles he was always a little devious, a little devilish. Here, Duris is all about Cuban-heeled shoes, black leather jacket, buffed out body, dyed black hair and unflinching scowl. More importantly, Tom has a big black hole where his soul should be and he uses his love of music to fill it...little by little as a compulsive eater uses food to fill an emptiness that is never quite satiated. Duris gives a profound, thoughtful and passionate performance.
Director Jacques Audiard (the sublime "Read My Lips") has made a film redolent of darkness and misanthropy on one hand and hope and light on the other. And it is this ambiguity that makes this film snap with world-weary wit and non-sanctimonious truth.
Redemption through the intricacies and beauty found within and between the notes of a Bach Toccata? Oh, yes.
Tom's work is morally corrupt and physically debilitating and Tom manifests this corruptness in the very core of his being: he's depressed, violent, short-tempered and vehemently without empathy and humanity. He is only seemingly nice when a good-looking woman is around and that is only so he can bed her.
Then one day he spots his dead mother's music manager who promises him an audition which draws Tom back into his musical training: something he deserted many years before. Tom throws himself into classical music at first as a challenge to recapture his talent. But what he doesn't initially realize is that music will ultimately prove to be his salvation...turning him from the darkness to the light.
Music has always been something that Tom has associated with what little good he has experienced in his life. To him, music recalls his loving mother. To him, music has always meant love. And he grasps at a life in music like a drowning man grasps at a life preserver. He is as neurotic at reclaiming his musical talent as he is at stealing, drinking, drugging and cheating. He has a goal for the first time in many, many years.
Romain Duris ("The Spanish Apartment," "Le Divorce") heretofore has always been the good guy: young and sweet yet in both of these roles he was always a little devious, a little devilish. Here, Duris is all about Cuban-heeled shoes, black leather jacket, buffed out body, dyed black hair and unflinching scowl. More importantly, Tom has a big black hole where his soul should be and he uses his love of music to fill it...little by little as a compulsive eater uses food to fill an emptiness that is never quite satiated. Duris gives a profound, thoughtful and passionate performance.
Director Jacques Audiard (the sublime "Read My Lips") has made a film redolent of darkness and misanthropy on one hand and hope and light on the other. And it is this ambiguity that makes this film snap with world-weary wit and non-sanctimonious truth.
Redemption through the intricacies and beauty found within and between the notes of a Bach Toccata? Oh, yes.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I was intrigued to see this film after reading a lot of great reviews and it did live up to the hype. The story concerns a young man caught between a life of crime and violence and his rekindling of a childhood talent ( and love ) for playing the piano. You'll find yourself hooked, desperate to find out what will happen to him, will he manage to pursue his dreams or is he doomed to always be sucked back into the underworld?
Romain Dupris' performance is outstanding, the way he conveys a nervous, edgy energy is hypnotic and he looks pretty cool aswell! He's entirely believable with a kind of Liam Gallagher swagger (Don't let that put you off!) If this film hadn't been in a foreign language then an oscar would have been his.
Remember this is no Disney film, without giving away too much there's some nasty violence towards the end. This is a film that will definately leave a lasting impression.
P.S. What a genius title!!
Romain Dupris' performance is outstanding, the way he conveys a nervous, edgy energy is hypnotic and he looks pretty cool aswell! He's entirely believable with a kind of Liam Gallagher swagger (Don't let that put you off!) If this film hadn't been in a foreign language then an oscar would have been his.
Remember this is no Disney film, without giving away too much there's some nasty violence towards the end. This is a film that will definately leave a lasting impression.
P.S. What a genius title!!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
One of the reviewers said they found the idea of redemption through music unconvincing. But I think this misses the point, the film doesn't answer the question it asks it. Because at the end we don't really know if the character has found any sort of redemption. As the film closes, the main character has just half killed someone in revenge? Is that redemption or does it mean his basic violent character is unchanged. The same reviewer says he found the idea of becoming a concert pianist unconvincing. But the main character doesn't become a concert pianist. He is with the Chinese girl who is the concert pianist. The leaves us watching the bloodstained main character watching her on stage. So in typically French style we are left with questions and more questions. This is not a criticism, it is just what the film does.
So after all that what did I think? Simply brilliant, exquisite phoitgraphy, acting, humour and a fascinating plot, and as most agree a superb central role. So 5 stars it is.
So after all that what did I think? Simply brilliant, exquisite phoitgraphy, acting, humour and a fascinating plot, and as most agree a superb central role. So 5 stars it is.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Tour De Force Central Performance
Jacques Audiard has been directing (very much off and on) since 1994 and only completed 5 films to date (2011) - albeit he has written a number of other screenplays over this... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Keith M
Solid character study of a man torn between two very different sides...
Intelligent, complex character study of small time hood with musical talent trying
to balance his hard and soft sides. Read more
to balance his hard and soft sides. Read more
Published 10 months ago by K. Gordon
The French Collection
Despite being a relative novice to World Cinema, the 3 French thrillers are excellent with "Hidden" undoubtedly a first class drama. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Adder
A Compelling Study of the Brute verses the Sensitive
Romain Duris gives an engaging performance as Tom who works as a member of a gang of illegal bailliffs who evict squatters with violent and destructive means. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Glen1975
very disappointing
Too arty for its own good. Not at all believable. I watched this because of its reviews but I was very disappointed. Read more
Published 20 months ago by mc
Art and brutality.
The plot of 'The Beat That My Heart Skipped' revolves around Tom, a criminal property dealer. He and his partners have a simple scam; they go into low income areas, wreck a... Read more
Published on 24 April 2010 by Ernie
The film I should have skipped
I found this a very unsatisfying film. Ponderous, unengaging, implausible this and more it really is one of those films where you need to have your hand on the fast forward button... Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2010 by ChrisG
A film that doesn't work, but is still watchable
There is loads wrong with this film. The idea of a highly sensitive individual being involved in the dark side of the property market is far-fetched. Read more
Published on 12 Dec 2009 by William Cohen
'Beat' lacks rhythm
After reading such great reviews I was disappointed. Not a bad film, and Romain Duris certainly is an impressive actor - though the chain-smoking tic was un peu wearing - but the... Read more
Published on 28 Nov 2009 by C. Young
The Beat That My Heart Skipped
The Plot
A minor criminal aspires to leave his life of crime behind and become a concern pianist, but both his past and present conspire to block his efforts. Read more
A minor criminal aspires to leave his life of crime behind and become a concern pianist, but both his past and present conspire to block his efforts. Read more
Published on 2 Nov 2009 by C. MacLellan
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
