Shot in the Heart

Shot in the Heart is wonderful. It brilliantly illustrates the plight of Gary Gimore, a convicted murder who requested death. Shot in the Heart shows the ordeal that Gilmore's family, torn up by hatred, went through. This movie is an incredible psychological study, and is wonderfully depressing and uplifting. 10/10

Wow, I loved this film. It may not have had the funding and advertising that the latest hollywood blockbusters get but it packs twice the emotional punch. The tale revolves around this one family from Utah and it's the connections between the people in the family that provide the film with its punch. The main lead (Giovanni Ribisi) plays his part very well, at no time does he leave you to believe that he's acting all his feelings. It's his brother (Elias Koteas) who stole the show for me though. When the two were in scenes together they bounded their lines off of each other, giving fantastic performances. Great cast, great film.

An interesting TV movie based on true fact, betrayed by the description of one of the leading characters, that of a prisoner. Giovanni Ribisi plays his younger brother, who has the delicate mission of deciding if he will appeal to the courts for his brother's death penalty. But when he goes to visit him and enters Elias Koteas, the problem starts. It has nothing to do with Koteas' acting ability. He just looks like the version of a prisoner of proletarian roots according to "G.Q." magazine, with a language too sophisticated for someone who has spent most of his life behind bars. This realization came to me after meeting again an old friend, whom I had not seen for almost 15 years, which he spent in several Panamanian jails. The young man I used to know is gone, not only because he is older, but due to his exposure for a prolonged time to the penal system. There are jails and there are jails, one must say, but this one prisoner in "Shot In the Heart" is definitely out of this world.

This movie affected me in more ways than I can express. It tore my heart out to see how the brothers went from strangers, to brothers. The performances were excellent, especially, the extraordinary Giovanni Ribisi. I am definitely running out to get the book tomorrow.

I read the book this film was based on by Mikal Gilmore and the movie really surpasses it many times over. This is only because of the visual representation that it translated from book to film. For those who haven't seen this film, I would definitely read the book first!

The performances by Giovanni Ribisi and Elias Koetas were terrific. You can tell just by their body language that these characters are authentic. Lee Teregsen also gives a superb job as the oldest brother Frank Jr. Even those this story is supposed top be about the final days of Gary Gilmore's life and its overall significance in American history, "Shot in the Heart" is ultimately about the different levels of relationships between brothers and their overall relationship with their parents. Mormon superstition also plays much into this film, giving the story a very Gothic, depressing, but vivid dimension.