Heartless

A really great twisted Horror Thriller. Not completely as original as the filmmakers want you to believe (watch last years "The Disappeared" for a similar film/movie experience, also made/from the UK), but a really great movie. Jim Sturges, who really has played quite a few roles and seems to be a rising new star on the British horizon, carries this movie with his lead performance.

He and some of his co-stars where at the Fright Fest screening, where Jim performed a song from the soundtrack of the movie. A soundtrack that has been written just for the movie and is integrated very well into it. Very subtle layered and greatly acted, this might need a second viewing, to get most of the story!

After hearing from the Director , Philip Ridley , about this movie on radio five i decided to to give it a go and i'm really pleased i did. You cant really put this film just into the Horror genre because it is much more than that. The movie looks stunning and the acting is of the highest quality (although i would have liked to have seen more of Eddie Marsen). To say it is thought provoking is an understatement and a great deal of praise should go to the Director for taking on such a heavy subject. My only criticism is i felt it began to lose it's way a little bit about 90 minutes in , but thankfully it's conclusion pulled it around wrapped up things very nicely.

Recommended.

Faust pact, demons, Devil, Jim Sturgess, warm Timothy Spall. an old story, crumbs of romanticism, good intentions. and presence of Indian child as flame, protector, daughter, help. result - not impressive movie. but touching. not very profound. but sensitive. a story about price of desire, love and happiness. about structure of abdication. in front - the heart. like birthmark on face. as first murder to pay a fake gift. to begin a fight. against yourself. it is shadow of delicate beauty. map of contemporary world. explication. for violence, hate, fear, temptations. and testimony about profound liaisons. a good work. an old story.and, maybe, occasion to meditate about small things - heart of existence.

This is a "psychological" thriller as much or more than a horror film. First, Jim Sturgess is excellent and has a brilliant career ahead of him. Why we haven't seen more of Joseph Mawie, the "devil" character, over the years is beyond me. Mawie is extremely creepy and steals his scenes. Timothy Spall and Ed Marson are underrated, though you've seen them a thousand times.

The depiction of dark London is well done. And the supernatural elements are well introduced, conservatively used and blended well with the psychological travails of our main character. But there is so much going on that at times I caught myself trying to piece bits together to guess at what I was supposed to be guessing at. The "neighbor" functions as a good foil but we're led to believe he has/will have something to do with the plot, which he really doesn't. The "nephew" subplot, though of some importance to a a late plot explanation, becomes annoying early on and the actor is less than convincing.

Fun nonetheless. Difficult to make a passable horror film these days.

Now,... I never feel motivated to write reviews; This is my first. Although in the past I've seen many great motion pictures and thought about it, I just didn't want to spend the time putting my feasibly mundane typed words into a critique.

To the people that rated this a 1 star and said don't waste your time, I'm happy I decided to anyway. To anybody reading this, don't pay attention to those people. Actually, I feel sorry for those reviewers, because they completely missed the point of this piece of art. It is not your typical horror. To call it a horror would be like calling moonlight sonata just a piano song; or the person closest to you just a human. This film is beyond deep. Philip Ridleys portrayal of facing your own demons, your fears, and exposing some rays of happiness through darkness, is one of the most strange yet gorgeous things I've seen ever in a movie.

If you watch this film and are not moved in some way, I honestly wouldn't know what to say. Because this visual masterpiece is in my eyes one of the greatest I've ever seen. I don't care what the critics say, or some random individual who has the mind to dismiss it as just a complex meaningless thriller. To me, this was a heart-moving, near perfection, possibly life-changing viewing; possibly due to the fact that I instantly related to scenes in the movie. It was like looking at my soul in the clearest of mirrors. The ending was..well there's no word for it.

I really hope more people have watched this one and understand what I feel right now. I feel..reborn.