Recently saw this movie at the Brisbane Film Festival. Terry O'Brien (director) was there. Stolen Hearts is a fast moving movie unlike any other I've seen. With its Tiny Budget, it was suprising to see such a good quality movie made with beautiful canadian Landscape.
This debut feature by writer-director Terry O'Brien shows how solid characterisation and attention to all details of production can compensate for a very low budget, reportedly US$100,000. Sharing generic similarities and locational ambience - frost-bitten snow-bound geography - with the Cohen Brothers' Fargo, Stolen Heart stands the comparison well. What starts as an apparent kidnap for profit soon develops into a complex melodrama about dysfunctional family relationships. Joey, effectively and aggressively played by Lisa Ryder, is the pivot of the gang of three kidnappers, but she soon proves to have more on her mind than money.
The narrative unfolds with a degree of comedic edge, but emotions and relationships move the element of crime to the periphery, or rather raise a wider issue about what crime is the most serious. Skilful camera work, overall strong performances by cast members and a solid soundtrack by a range of Canadian groups have earned Stolen Heart well-deserved awards in festivals in four countries, and the film stands as an excellent model for low-budget feature filmmakers.
As cliched as the comment is, I am still tempted to say That this movie is a MUST SEE, so try and grab it wherever you can. I heard HBO has bought the rights to it. (hopes it comes to SHOWTIME in OZ.)
