Heaven

 

 

Create your own review

What is true love? What would we do to keep it, once we find it? Is this what it is like to find a true soulmate? What is wrong and right if we seek redemption, but are dragged down by a lust for justice?

"Heaven" has the advantage of being written by the late great Krzysztof Kieslowski and the director Tom Tykwer, so it's not surprising that the result is exquisite -- melancholy, dreamlike, and a beautiful meditation on love and guilt.

In Italy, young schoolteacher Phillipa Paccard (Cate Blanchett) sneaks into drug kingpin Vendice's office and plants a bomb in his trash, little knowing that the trash is about to be collected -- it kills the cleaning lady, a dad and two kids. Phillipa is arrested, aghast, because after the kingpin's drugs killed her hubby and students, she had to take justice into her own hands.

A young Italian cabinieri, Filippo (Giovanni Ribisi), serves as a translator for Phillipa, and he is struck by her self-recrimination and sorrow. When her evidence is destroyed by a spy in the police, Philipo creates an elaborate escape plan, then helps her kill Vendice. From there, they escape into Tuscany, where their bond grows deeper. The soul mates live in what seems like a paradise, shaving their heads and wearing identical clothes. But Tuscany is not heaven, and they are still not safe.

Tom Tykwer gave the film its focus (lovers in jeopardy) and unearthly direction, but Krzysztof Kieslowski provided the heart and soul of it. In that sense, it is wholly his movie. Themes of guilt and redemption, love and salvation, punishment and forgiveness run deep in "Heaven." Symbolism clings to it like ivy (the white shirts, the bright lights), and there are definite religious tones to it -- Phillipa's confession to Filipo in a church, the wistful watching of a wedding, and the ascension into the skies -- not the triumph of law, but the triumph of love and forgiveness.

The handling of Phillipa and Filippo is exquisite, such as the scenes where they shave their heads and wear identical clothes, run and walk in unison. What's more, their connection is far deeper -- his birthday, their names. The direction is otherworldly, even in violent scenes like the explosion, or Phillipa shooting Vendice. In the latter half of the film, this dreaminess pervades everything -- the trees, sky, ruined stone churches and the tiny running figures.

The main problems, it seems, would be the ocasional clash between Tykwer and the late Kieslowski's style. Some parts are more Tykwer, some are more Kieslowski, so it seems sometimes that the focus is less on the storyline and more on the lovers (which is more Tykwer). Additionally, when the lovers arrive in Tuscany the tone changes to a less hard-edged, more romantic one. Some viewers may find this disconcerting, but I found it a natural progression as the two grew closer and sought some kind of haven, even if Phillipa doesn't want to go unpunished.

Cate Blanchett is in amazing form here, expressing grief, love, pride, and anger with only a slight change of expression. Giovanni Ribisi is almost as good; he's a little stiff in the beginning, but loosens up and becomes fully believable as a very young man who is very deeply in love. Remo Girone appears in only a few scenes as Filipo's dad, but is heartbreakingly good.

With the best of Tykwer and Kieslowski carefully woven together --though not always in harmony -- "Heaven" is a quietly passionate, deeply romantic movie. An amazing, heartbreaking movie, and not one to be missed.

I saw this so I could watch Karl Urban, a very talented New Zealand actor. But it really wasn't worth the time spent. The movie relied too much on violence and shock to get its point across, and you get treated to a few scenes replayed over and over and over again. The plot was hard to follow, and the whole thing just seemed unlikely, especially as the characters had a range of accents, from American to Kiwi (New Zealand) One of the things that bothered me the most is that I wasn't able to figure out where the film was supposed to be taking place. On the other hand, Martin Donovan was more than interesting, and I'd be interested in seeing some of his other films.

I saw this so I could watch Karl Urban, a very talented New Zealand actor. But it really wasn't worth the time spent. The movie relied too much on violence and shock to get its point across, and you get treated to a few scenes replayed over and over and over again. The plot was hard to follow, and the whole thing just seemed unlikely, especially as the characters had a range of accents, from American to Kiwi (New Zealand) One of the things that bothered me the most is that I wasn't able to figure out where the film was supposed to be taking place. On the other hand, Martin Donovan was more than interesting, and I'd be interested in seeing some of his other films.

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 9 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

 

4.0 out of 5 stars I rarely give 5's
'Heaven' reminds me of the best parts of 'The Cook The Thief His Wife and Her Lover' combined with the cinematography of anything out of the best of Antonioni... Read more

Published on Dec 7 2001 by Richard H. White

4.0 out of 5 stars Richard Schiff fans get this!
If you are a Richard Schiff fan, you have to get this movie and you won't be sorry if you do. The character (Stanner) he plays in this movie is so opposite of his performance as... Read more

Published on Sep 25 2000 by Tobyfan

4.0 out of 5 stars Violent But Very Good
There are a lot of violent characters that commit some very violent acts in this film, including rape, arson, murder and kidnapping. Read more

Published on Sep 5 2000 by carol irvin

2.0 out of 5 stars Isn't that the Hal Hartley guy?
A divorced architect (Martin Donovan), while designing a strip club for a sleazy client (Richard Schiff), gets involved in a seedy underworld which includes a transvestite... Read more

Published on May 14 2000 by Dan Balogh

3.0 out of 5 stars underrated...
'Preposterous' and 'pretentious' are two words often used to review Scott Reynolds' second feature. While I can see where those critics are coming from, I feel it's too easy to... Read more

Published on Mar 22 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Film That You've Never Seen!
A suspense drama with a unique structure and great performances. Something like "The Crying Game" with a fantastic bent. Read more

Published on Dec 7 1999

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 9 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Search Listmania!