| Heartless | |
|---|---|
Theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Philip Ridley |
| Produced by | Pippa Cross Richard Raymond |
| Written by | Philip Ridley |
| Starring | Jim Sturgess Joseph Mawle Noel Clarke Clémence Poésy Nikita Mistry Timothy Spall |
| Music by | David Julyan |
| Cinematography | Matt Gray |
| Editing by | Chris Gill Paul Knight |
| Distributed by | Lionsgate (UK) IFC Films (US) |
| Release date(s) | 31 August 2009 (FrightFest) 21 May 2010 (United Kingdom) |
| Running time | 114 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Heartless is a 2009 British horror film directed by Philip Ridley and starring Jim Sturgess, Noel Clarke, Clémence Poésy and Eddie Marsan.
Contents |
Jamie Morgan (Jim Sturgess) is a troubled photographer with a heart-shaped birthmark on his face. At the photographic studio he shares with his brother and nephew Lee, he meets aspiring model Tia (Clémence Poésy).
A series of horrific events - including the separate murders of his mother and former gang member neighbour A.J. - lead Jamie first to the brink of suicide, then to the apartment of Papa B (Joseph Mawle) and his assistant Belle (Nikita Mistry). He is offered a Faustian bargain: fulfill Papa B's desire for chaos with occasional acts of vandalism in return for the removal of his birthmarks. Despite Papa B being responsible for his mother's death Jamie consents, his skin being restored by an act of self-immolation.
Initially things go well: a chance meeting with Tia leads a newly-confident Jamie to the park, where his deceased father taught him to use a camera. The deal sours, however, when the Weapons Man arrives: Jamie must now commit murder; first of a gigolo, then Tia.
At the studio, it is revealed that Tia and Lee intended to steal his mother's jewels from the safe. Tia had initially meant only to help Lee gain access to the safe, but she ended up falling sincerely in love with Jamie. During the ensuing struggle Tia is accidentally shot, and Lee is soon wounded by She, the gang leader to whom he owed money.
Jamie is pursued by She, resulting in She's death. Jamie spies himself in a mirror and sees that his birthmark has returned, and with it the knowledge that it had been there the entire time, even while he was courting Tia. The viewer is left to decide for him or her self whether Papa B. cheated Jamie by never removing the birthmark, or if much of what transpired was the product of Jamie's imagination.
Jamie staggers outside where a hooded gang member catches him with a Molotov cocktail. As he burns to death, Jamie experiences an emotionally powerful moment with his father (whether this is a memory or a near-death experience is left unclear) before seeming to ascend into bright light. The light fades into a field of stars in the night sky, mirroring those spoken of by his father.
The film was shown as part of the 2009 Cork Film Festival.[1] It premiered on 21 May 2010[2] and was released on DVD on 25 May 2010 in the UK.[3] Heartless is part of the Fantasia Festival 2010.[4]
Reviews for the film have been generally positive. The film currently holds a 78% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.