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Fantasia FF: Quint takes a look at Philip Ridley's Deal With the Devil flick, HEARTLESS, starring Jim Sturgess!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here.
HEARTLESS starring Jim Sturgess and Clemence Poesy is Philip Ridley’s first film in over a decade. You’ll probably know Ridley best for THE REFLECTING SKIN, a video box cover from my teen years that kind of dared me to pick it up and give it a watch.
My memory of Reflecting Skin is very hazy and non-detailed, but I remember feeling it was unique if not wholly successful. That would come close to describing Heartless. It’s a little less unique, but a little more successful… however that sliding scale works.
Sturgess impressed me with his quietly tortured central performance. Sturgess’ Jamie was born with an extremely noticeable birthmark on his face and as such has always felt like an outcast. His life is a series of double-takes from strangers.
We know that he has attempted suicide in the past and that while he recovered he’s so withdrawn and insecure that his life is hollow, without any meaningful human interaction outside of his immediate family.
He blames his birthmark, but even though the make-up is very well done he’s still Jim Sturgess under there. His real trouble is his outlook on life. Believe me, as a fat guy I know all too well about image insecurities, but at a certain point you have to throw that aside. If you’re happy with yourself that’ll be attractive to someone. That must be true or else I’d never had had any girlfriends.
But Jamie is hung up on it and has found solice in photographer, a passion he picked up from his dead father. While out getting of abandoned buildings he glimpses what looks to be a demonic face in a window.
This begins a dark, down-the-rabbit-hole story that involves roving gangs of screeching lizard men, a little mystical Indian girl, a creepy Satan and a deal with the devil that, as usual, never goes as planned.
Jamie’s biggest wish is to live a normal life, have no mark on his face, and settle down, build a family. That’s what he sells his soul for and naturally the Devil ain’t exactly fair.
There’s a little Angel Heart in this movie, that kind of disturbing feeling that you’re walking through insanity throughout the film. I liked that aspect of the flick.
What I didn’t care too much for was the overuse of the lizard screeching, which Ridley would use as cheap jump scares. Instead of a musical stinger when a hand would slam down on a shoulder, Ridley would use the sound effect for no reason other than it is shrill and will guarantee a jump.
There’s also a twist that felt like one of those movies that hit after The Sixth Sense trying to chase that gut-punch. I don’t know if it works too well… without going into spoilers, I liked the idea, but not the execution so much.
Performance-wise the flick is good. Sturgess is a solid leading man, his love interest (Clemence Poesy) is suitably innocent and adorable. The two standouts for me were Joseph Mawle’s Papa B (ie Mr. Satan) and Eddie Marsan’s The Weapons Man.
The Weapons Man is essentially the Devil’s assistant, tasked to collect on deals and equip the poor souls in fulfilling their side of the transaction. Marsan plays him like a saner Renfield. There’s an insanity behind his cool, suited surface and a giddiness at the macabre that makes for the most entertaining part of the movie.
Also look out for a short, but sweet appearance by Timothy Spall as Jamie’s dead daddy. He has one great speech that justifies why an actor of Spall’s caliber took that small role.
So, final thoughts… interesting, slightly cheap on the scares front, not totally successful but successful enough to not make me regret the time spent watching it. Not exactly a glowing endorsement, but substantially better than “meh”.
I’m home from Fantasia, but will try to get a little round-up of reviews done before the insanity that is Comic-Con! Look for more weirdness from Montreal’s own genre fest soon!
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
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for that apple fiasco
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Jul 19, 2010 9:49:44 PM CDT
This jim dude really bugged me in that fuck all movie across the
by canidate_micheal
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There! I said it.
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I saw the Reflecting Skin about 12 years ago and it kinda messed me up. I remember not being able to speak to anyone for few days after.
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I really liked it. Saw the 'twist' coming, but it is visually interesting, has some solid performances and goes to some fairly dark places. Well worth a watch.
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input this URL:
( http://www.shoes2.us/ )
you can find many cheap and fashion stuff -
There! I said it.
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was overwrought and puffed up with self-importance. It's ultimately nothing more than a curiosity worthwhile to Beatles obsessives--anyone else would do just as well to spin the albums, as the movie's visuals, cameos, and in-jokes add little to nothing. All in all, a waste of time -- although it did provide a glimpse of Ms. Wood's breast.
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There! I didn't say it. Now go get your fucking shinebox! Moohahahaha! I guess I'm disagreeing. I thought the visuals and the take on the songs were a pretty cool experiment. At least we can agree on Ms. Wood.
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I used the shinebox line earlier in another talkback section. I feel so Hollywood.
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The Devil here looks exactly like DeNiro's Cypher!
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Ewwwwwww.
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http://www.aintitcool.com/talkback_display/45833#comment_3458424
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http://www.aintitcool.com/talkback_display/45833#comment_3458424
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i mean, seriously
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Absolute rubbish. Ridley hasn't matured ONE HOUR since his first play. Hope;essly cliched, contrived, irritating and nonsensical garbage gussied up with a couple of cameos by Timothy Spall and Eddie Marsan and a lush, lambent cinematography that cannot disguise the skeletal barrenness of the central (Jesus, ANOTHER FAUSTIAN PACT?!) concept. I never turn off films but this went in the recycle bin within half-an-hour.
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