The Good Heart

Brian Cox & Paul Dano are a remarkable pairing in a film that doesn't really accomplish much, but somehow remains okay. Jacques, a bitter bartender looking for someone to carry on his legacy stumbles upon Lucas, a homeless young adult who is hopelessly giving. The pairing between the two is what allows the film to float above complete disaster, as their on screen chemistry elevates the otherwise nonexistent storyline to a level slightly beyond entriguing. As Jacques determines to break the kid and turn him into a "proper bartender", one who does not help people but destroys them, he finds a kid unwilling to bend in his giving ways. This changes Jacques, but the seeds of contempt Jacques has planted within Lucas in his "lessons of life" rub a lot deeper. This movie would've easily gotten an 8 had it ended about 5 minutes earlier. I must say that there was a scene in the beginning where I knew exactly what would happen at the end of the film, and this not only cripples any film revolving around this as a plot device, it destroys the very purpose of the entire piece. The only reason to watch this film is Brian Cox & Paul Dano's amazing on screen chemistry, and that alone places this film slightly above palatable.

Over the past two to three years, Iceland has mostly made news because of its economic meltdown and because of an unpronounceable volcano. Well, I would say that Dagur Kári's movie "The Good Heart" shows that the island still has a lot to offer us.

The movie tells the story of Jacques (Brian Cox) and Lucas (Paul Dano). Jacques is a short-tempered bartender who suffers a heart attack and is put in a hospital bed next to the derelict Lucas. Jacques decides to take Lucas under his wing and teach him the bar-tending business. Although not the nicest person, Jacques is determined to give Lucas a good life. But when Lucas takes unemployed flight attendant April (Isild Le Besco) his wing, the story gets started on an irreversible path.

The movie has really good character development. Just watching Jacques on the screen made me feel as if I was walking on eggshells. It certainly gave me an idea of what it must be like to be a bartender and have to deal with certain kinds of people every day. Even though Jacques is kind of nasty as a person, we understand why he's like this, and by extension get a sense of what Lucas and April have to put up with.

Like I said, it was a real surprise that much of the funding for "The Good Heart" came from Iceland, and that much of the crew and cast is from the North Atlantic island*. This movie could be seen as the manifestation of Ísland's** potential return from its economic collapse during the past few years. I strongly recommend "The Good Heart" and wish Iceland the best. Lofsöngur!

*Many of the names employed the letter thorn, written Þ (upper case) and þ (lower case).

**That's Iceland's name in Icelandic.

The Good Heart is the perfect title for this gem. It lives up the name in every way.

It's an interesting character study about an old man who owns a dive bar in New York city, and the homeless youngster he takes under his wing. Add in the grizzly characters who frequent the bar, and a lone lady friend who's also an interesting case study. There's also a curious, entertaining pet that joins the scene at the bar. However, the film isn't contained to just the bar.

The movie is shot with a filter that gives it a semi black and white feel, which doesn't distract but adds to the ambience of the film.

The acting is solid and the script is well written. The plot and storyline flow seamlessly from beginning to end.

And the end- the end really brings it all home to a, well, heartfelt conclusion. I rated it a 7 because it really hits the humanistic side of the lives of the main characters.

This is a must see movie - goes on my list all time favorites.

It is not a thriller but there is never a dull moment. It is no comedy either yet there were several occasions where I was laughing so hard that I was almost out of breath. It's difficult to classify.

The script has everything. Excellent plot, really fantastic dialogs, interesting characters, unexpected turns and a surprise ending... a great story and its well told.

The quality is excellent: filming, lighting, soundtrack, props, costumes ... everything.

Brian Cox is fantastic as the grumpy bar owner... Paul Dano is convincing as the homeless young man.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

This film is about a bitter bar owner who insults everyone he sees. He encounters a homeless young man with a good nature, and takes him as his apprentice in the bar.

"The Good Heart" is filmed artistically. The mostly dark colour scheme, and the old and bleak sets augment the film's dismal atmosphere. The story follows a predictable pattern, as two individuals with vastly different personalities collide, they change each other. Brian Cox puts on a great performance as a character who is bitter and cold. Paul Dano's character is very good natured to the point that he is vulnerable to exploitation. He has the good heart, which I did not imagine it to have a literal meaning. However, the slow pacing and the overly bleak atmosphere hurt the enjoyment factor. If this story was filmed as a light hearted comedy, it would have worked better.