Mad Love in New York

Before hitting the big time with "Good Time", the Safdie Brothers made this uncompromising Indie gem about heroin addicts in New York based on the real-life experiences of leading actress Arielle Holmes. "Heaven Knows What" is like a 21st century version of "Panic in Needle Park" and it deserves to be just as well known. It's certainly not an easy watch but Holmes and co-stars Caleb Landry Jones and Buddy Duress are superb and you can tell the Safdies definitely had a future ahead of them. This might be off-kilter and low budget but it feels as if they had been making films for years. As "Good Time" finally showed, they have an unerring visual sense even when dealing with material as downbeat and as depressing as this and some scenes almost have a look of magic realism to them. With Holmes virtually playing herself we could just as easily be watching a documentary. The Brothers also inject a good deal of humanity into the material so while it is certainly depressing it never feels exploitative.

I saw Good Time a couple of years ago, and to make a joke that absolutely everybody who saw and enjoyed it has already made: it was a good time. Tense, gritty, and excellently paced, it also piqued my interest in the Safdie brothers as filmmakers going forward. Uncut Gems has been on my radar for a while, and I'll finally have the opportunity to see it in a few days, but in the meantime went back into their filmography to see what else they had to offer. The interesting premise and critical acclaim of Heaven Knows What grabbed my attention, and so I gave it a watch last night.

Throughout much of the film, I thought it was pretty decent if not quite remarkable. It looked good and was shot well for an indie film, the music made me feel queasy in a good way, and the central performance from lead actress Arielle Holmes- who I did not recognise- was very good. I was surprised to learn once the movie was over that not only was this loosely based on a true story, but that it was indeed Holmes' story- she effectively played as version of herself throughout the movie. And this made me appreciate her performance even more- it was brave of her to relive such a traumatic story on screen, and even if she was acting situations close to what she experienced, the fact that this was her first time acting is still mightily impressive. I was under the impression while watching that she was just an unknown, freshly discovered actress, albeit a very good one. This semi-autobiographical, almost meta twist is definitely the most interesting and notable aspect of the film.

Besides that, is Heaven Knows What worth the 90-ish minutes of grit and potential trauma? I would say yes, but don't expect to see anything you haven't seen or heard already in most movies that depict drug addiction. It treads familiar ground but does so well, although by and large the acting from the rest of the cast isn't quite as strong as Holmes'. There is also a loose, not exactly propulsive unfolding of events that serve as a vague kind of story, so while this is somewhat frustrating, it's also almost definitely intentional. It depicts the flow and tedium of a life that's all about trying to score the next high; a life that is surely 99% frustrating, tedious, and stress-inducing. It doesn't make for a pleasant watch, but it does make for a mostly compelling one.

The treading of familiar ground and not excelling in anywhere but the casting of/performance of Holmes is the only thing that holds this back. The Safdie Brothers were likely still tweaking their craft that they'd essentially end up perfecting in Good Time, but this is a really solid effort, and worth watching if you either haven't seen many movies about drug addiction, or are okay with watching one that might not necessarily tell you anything new about the topic.

I guess I'm writing this review after seeing the one and only other review. This film is actually really very good, and for what its showing: perfect. Time is different for some people. Those with heroin in their lives don't live as we do. For them time doesn't really exist.

There is a flow and it is somewhat linear though quantum leaps here and there are possible at anytime.

There is always need.

The opening is a dream. One of Harley's perfect moments in 'time' smashed by a realisation. She has to kill herself for the man she loves? Combine this with Heroins ebb and flow and it becomes even more intense.

Love unrequited but really Ilya loves Harley too... right?

What will you do for love? Anything. What will you do for Heroin? Almost anything?

The film flows through days and night though really we are just allowed to view their lives for a short train ride. The end is Malick in style - life just keeps on flowing.

I read up a little on Arielle Holmes (Harley) - she has lived the lifestyle, and some parts of the film are based on her adventures!

It's very realistic. Just watch it all, let it flow.

Oh also, the use of modular synths and sound instead of voice (in parts) is very effective, the latter trying something new and it worked.

An early Safdie Brothers (Benny & Josh) film from 2014. Following on the heels of Larry Clarke's seminal 1995 film Kids, we follow the ups & mostly downs of a drug addict (played by Arielle Holmes whose novel this film is adapted from) as she tries to cop drugs, panhandle & find some sort of balance w/the love of her life, played by Caleb Landry Jones (Banshee from X-Men: First Class). After her man dares her to slash her wrists (which she does after we assume she promised to but never really sealed the deal) she gets bandaged up in a hospital & instead of taking that opportunity to clean up her act she just dumps herself back on the street where she hooks up w/a user/dealer & they spend time together where they do whatever they can to get themselves fixed up but once Jones comes back into the picture (at one point he throws a homemade ninja star at Holmes' new guy injuring him & in a later episode Holmes comes to his rescue when he nearly OD's in a public restroom). Not for the faint of heart or for those who may've been open minded about drug use or whatever when they were younger but seeing this documentary styled voyage into listlessness (many of the actors are shot from a distance giving the film an authentic feel to the proceedings) but as an exercise in filmmaking it can be equal parts exciting & depressing.

There are few films as unforgiving as Heaven Knows What. With its blistering soundtrack and rough in-your-face photography, you're either captivated or eyeing the exit. The Safdie brothers fictionalised retelling of Arielle Holmes life on the street, as played impressively by herself, is relentlessly bleak. The only joy is securing a dose of heroin. It doesn't keep track of names or days, just showing how she survives moment-to-moment. That kind of loose narrative thread void of character backstories can work if it holds together thematically, but Heaven Knows What isn't clear what it's trying to say besides showing the life of an addict. It latches onto hints of a theme of unrequited love, as demonstrated by Holmes' toxic relationship with her easy-to-loathe on-off-again boyfriend Ilya. Not that he has to be likable - the devastating first act where he encourages her to commit suicide is the film's finest stretch - but he's so loathsome that he drag the film down with him. Holmes has her own moments of venom, though it's balanced with vulnerability. Perhaps his purpose thematically is that he represents her relationship with heroin, but that's too on-the-nose and flimsy to bolster the film's quality. Instead, the film hinges on that docu-style commitment from both the directors and the cast. Certainly an emotionally exhausting experience with the aesthetics, I just wish it was more thoroughly explored on paper first.

7/10