Bleeding Heart

2015 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL: The intimate and calm nature of Diane Bell's "Bleeding Heart" is simply mesmerizing. Starring Jessica Biel as May, a yoga instructor who finds her biological sister Shiva (played by Zosia Mamet), who is a sex worker with an abusive boyfriend (played by Joe Anderson). The unlikely pair explores the boundaries of their new-found relationship, the identity of family, and the protection of one another.

Bell's handle of the subject matter is very impressive, as she chooses to focus on reactions in several key scenes rather than words. Having only one feature under her belt (the little seen "Obselidia" in 2010), for which she received two Independent Spirit Award nominations, Bell emulates the passion and demand of storytelling as seen by such filmmakers like Patty Jenkins and Lisa Cholodenko. Taking on double duties with writing the film's script, her exploration into these two female characters isn't as intricate or precise as you'd like. With an 80 minute runtime, there's likely a few more minutes of dialogue, coverage, or something additional that would have rounded out these two women a bit more.

One area that Bell doesn't lack is in her ability to get the very best work out of her actors. Jessica Biel may have finally found her vehicle. With an internalized and very subtle performance, Biel excels in her ability to find the very motivation of May. Her yearn for family, both with her sister and her boyfriend (played by Edi Gathegi, who you'll know from "Gone Baby Gone" and "X-Men: First Class") is richly profound, all leading up to a climax that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

You may all know the adorkable Zosia Mamet as Shoshanna Shapiro on HBO's hit-show "Girls," a role that she's confidently called her own in an ensemble that doesn't exactly allow her to shine. She sheds all her cute and innocent personas to inhabit the soul of an impenetrable woman. Mamet's work as Shiva is hands down the best performance seen by an actress this year yet. She doesn't play it safe or conventional as we've seen with other "hookers with a heart" stories in other films. She's unafraid to be judged by the audience; not looking for an alibi, simply guilty as charged as delivering one of the bravest turns of the year. It's very exciting to see her take on a role like this feet first.

As one of our more standard character creations, Joe Anderson as Cody, Shiva's boyfriend, is just mind-numbingly good. Anderson, who you may remember from films like "The Grey" and "Control," harnesses the energy of a Ben Foster-type, in a vile role that simply stands out.

"Bleeding Heart" is a fascinating film, though a tad predictable. If nothing else, it recognizes the under-appreciated work of Jessica Biel and Zosia Mamet, and places writer/director Diane Bell at the forefront of exciting indie filmmakers.

"Bleeding Heart" currently has no distributor.

..she really is impressive.. would be so easy to take the obvious way out and do the tried and true big-money course of Hollywood.. in this film we see yet another time how good an actor she truly is.. and it is great to behold.. it is no revelation it would be extremely hard to disguise how incredibly gorgeous she is.. but her acting talent just adds to her impressive allure.. how hard must it be to have had this woman in your grasp, and to completely loose it and let her go.. what an ordeal to have to bear.. this little film is mostly subtlety her, and it is worth the time spent watching.. she can do pretty much whatever she wants, but to her credit she looks for script/ character challenges.. bravo Jessica..

Yoga teacher May (Jessica Biel) approaches Shiva (Zosia Mamet) with news that they share a biological mother. Shiva was a foster kid after their mother died when she was 12. Her pimp boyfriend Cody is volatile and abusive. May starts to fear for Shiva and invites her to her adoptive mother (Kate Burton). May's boyfriend Dex is angry that she gave Shiva $1000 for rent. After getting out of jail, Cody threatens Shiva but she returns to him anyways.

This moves rather slowly and deliberately. I kept waiting for a surprise twist. I have at least three in mind but this movie just kept plowing ahead. It's like watching someone willingly walk into a buzzsaw. One questions the character. The movie needs to lay out May's life more clearly and give her a greater motivation. I don't know much about writer/director Diane Bell but she shows a bit of skills. The acting is solid. Everybody shows up. This does need something more and I'm not sure what.

Rating Breakdown: Story - 0.50 :: Direction - 1.00 :: Pace - 0.75 :: Performances - 0.75 :: Entertainment - 1.00 :::: TOTAL - 4/10

Oh, dear. Bound By Blood (2015), or Bleeding Heart, had potential-a story about two estranged sisters reconnecting should've been rich with drama and emotional heft. Instead, it's a plodding, monochromatic mess that never delivers on its promise.

Jessica Biel plays May, a do-gooder yoga instructor, and Zosia Mamet is Shiva, her rebellious, sex-worker sister. Together, they navigate a bleak reunion full of familial tension and external threats. Sounds gripping, right? Wrong. The script by Diane Bell is so devoid of depth and nuance that the characters barely register as two-dimensional. May is relentlessly passive, and Shiva is little more than a collection of clichés.

Visually, the film fares no better. Awful washed-out filters drain the colour from every scene, leaving the film looking like it's been soaked in dishwater. It's a shame because, occasionally, there's a decent shot buried under all that dreariness.

The pacing is a slog, and the performances feel half-hearted at best. Even Biel, who usually has screen presence, seems hamstrung by the lifeless script. Mamet tries to inject some defiance into Shiva, but the character is so poorly written that it barely registers.

Ultimately, Bound By Blood is a thriller without the thrill, a drama without the drama. It's emotionally flat, visually unappealing, and narratively hollow. There are better films out there-this one isn't worth your time. Save yourself 90 minutes and watch something else.

Despite the bad rating I decided to give it a shot, and didn't regret it. This should be a lesson for not always taking the IMDb rating for good. The story is credible and touching, and the performing was OK. God knows I saw many worse movies with better rates.