Fourteen years passed between the release of Heartless and writer-director Philip Ridley’s last film, 1995’s The Passion of Darkly Noon. Hardcore fans of the intriguing auteur were overjoyed at his return to the big screen; however, those fans are few and far between, more a cult of professional critics than anything else, due to Ridley’s penchant for macabre subject matter, intensely verbose dialogue, and mind game-driven plots. Ridley is in many ways the British David Lynch, though to dismiss him merely as such would be a disservice to his talent. Yet his films, like Lynch’s, while masterfully crafted, are definitely not for everyone, and Heartless is a prime example of this.
The film stars Jim Sturgess as Jamie Morgan, an introverted young photographer who lives in the slums of East London with his widow mother, Marion (Ruth Sheen). Jamie sports a horrifying birthmark in the rough shape of a heart, blood red and dripping down his neck and shoulder, which causes everyone who sees him to stare in horror. Apart from this physical deformity, which makes it hard for Jamie to interact normally with others, Marion and Jamie live relatively uneventful lives. They’re still in mourning for Jamie’s dead father, with the occasional distraction of elder son Raymond and his troubled son Lee, who grows increasingly tangled in the gang warfare that plagues the area.
But this is no ordinary gang scene. While roaming about quietly at night, hood pulled over his face as to not frighten anyone with his mark, Jamie witnesses a group of people torturing and burning two people to death. Yet when they turn around it is clear that they are not mere hoodlums, but lizard-faced demons with needle-sharp silver teeth. It is from this moment that Heartless begins its descent into chaos, and into a strange fantastical underworld of London that bears more of a resemblance to Pan’s Labyrinth than any Guy Ritchie gangster caper. More and more instances of otherworldly violence begin to show up on the news, and the streets of London start to resemble a post-apocalyptic landscape where one has to carry a gun in order to leave the house—and even then, there’s no guarantee one will survive.
Soon the violence affects Jamie’s family in a hugely personal and tragic way, so the normally mild-mannered young man plots revenge. From there he meets the mysterious Papa B (a creepily charismatic Joseph Mawle) and his sweet little girl assistant, Belle (Nikita Mistry). Papa B is essentially Satan; he strives to bring chaos and destruction to the world when things appear to be growing too calm and complacent. People are only capable of their best when faced with the worst, he argues, and so he makes a deal with Jamie—if Jamie carries out some tasks to help bring additional chaos to the area, he will rid Jamie of his birthmark so that he can be beautiful and find true love. Naturally, things aren’t so simple, especially when a gorgeous young woman named Tia (the lovely Clemence Poesy) is thrown into the mix. Will Jamie be able to do the horrible things required of him by Papa B? If he does, will it be worth it? Jamie must face his own inner demons as well as the ones on the street in order to succeed, and soon he has a very hard time distinguishing one from the other. The story builds towards a manic climax and features many scenes along the way that will haunt your dreams with their disturbing and yet oddly breathtaking imagery. It’s a singular piece of work.
The film succeeds in a large part because of the talented cast, a cream of the crop of British character actors who deserve far more recognition from mainstream Hollywood than they currently receive. Jim Sturgess made a splash a few years ago when he starred in Julie Taymor’s Beatles extravaganza Across the Universe, and was by far the best thing about that movie, with his easygoing, effortless charm and boy-next-door good looks. He brings the same qualities to the role of Jamie, even in the character’s darkest hour. You want to root for Jamie, even when you can see that the decisions he is making will only lead to further trouble. In a film this dark, you need a bright spot to follow, and Sturgess is it. Also worth noting are Noel Clarke as Jamie’s mysterious new neighbor, A.J., and Eddie Marsan as a servant of Papa B’s known as Weapons Man. The cast delivers Ridley’s tongue-twisting, sometime overly preachy dialogue with gusto, and through their convincing performances, make the audience suspend their disbelief long enough to believe that perhaps there are demons roaming the streets of London.
Such an unusual film is hard to categorize, though if I had to pick I’d call it horror. Yet the craftsmanship of Heartless can’t really be compared with the slasher movies and torture porn that populate most multiplexes. It’s elegantly shot with a stark color palette, and the soundtrack, featuring original songs by Sturgess, is equally haunting. It’s by no means a perfect film, or even a truly brilliant one. It has many flaws. The plot grows far too confusing at some points, though I never doubted that Ridley knew where he was taking his characters and his audience, which is crucial when allowing oneself to get taken along on such a bizarre ride. As I previously mentioned, Ridley has a fondness for extensive monologues that while delivered impressively, occasionally grow too browbeaten in their purpose. Yet Heartless is a unique and modern take on the old story of Faust, and showcases an artistic vision that few other modern filmmakers possess. Hopefully Ridley will not wait another fourteen years before his next entrance into cinemas.
DVD Bonus Features
A film this complicated would naturally be chock full of special features in order to elucidate some of the mystery. They include:
-The film’s American and UK trailers, which are essentially the same except for the cheesy voiceover that ruins the mysterious vibe of the film. The UK trailer contains the same imagery without that voiceover and is far more effective and intriguing.
-A Making Of documentary as well as Behind the Scenes footage. Both are very enlightening.
-Footage from the British Independent Film Awards musical rehearsal, which highlights what a beautiful singing voice Jim Sturgess has. This is also featured in:
-Two live music videos from the BIFAs for the songs Sturgess wrote and sings on the soundtrack, “Heartless” and “Other Me.” Like I said, his voice is lovely. The songs are pretty good on their own, too, and fit the tone of the story perfectly.
-Audience Reactions to the film. These are obviously all shot and edited by the studio and of course are overwhelmingly enthusiastic as a result, but it is nice to hear what other moviegoers have to say, especially concerning how it transcends the genre of horror.
"Heartless" is on sale April 12, 2011 and is not rated. Horror, Indie, Mystery. Written and directed by Philip Ridley. Starring Clemence Poesy, Jim Sturgess, Noel Clarke, Timothy Spall.
